


The Anatomy of Temptation

by Forsaker



Category: Modern Family (TV)
Genre: Awkward First Times, Awkward Sexual Situations, Eventual Smut, Explicit Sexual Content, F/F, First Time, Lesbian Sex, Oral Sex, Sibling Bonding, Sibling Incest, Sibling Love, Sister/Sister Incest
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-20
Updated: 2019-07-09
Packaged: 2019-07-14 15:31:43
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 30,640
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16043333
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Forsaker/pseuds/Forsaker
Summary: Claire did always want her girls getting along...





	1. Chapter 1

_Okay... a touch of eye shadow... eyeliner... nice. Blush? No blush. Now as for the lipstick, maybe burgundy red. Or... lavender pink. Oh, yeah, super cute. Then again... maybe it’s better not to make mom suspicious. Lip gloss it is then. Okay, so - lingerie. Blue thong? Too much. Something lacy... where the hell are my black boyshorts panties?! Ah, there you are. Matching bra... nah, let’s go with the white one. Aaaand  - perfect. Skirt? Check. Blouse? Check. Ok... here goes nothing..._

In total silence, Haley left her room and headed slowly down the stairs. Skipping over the one broken step ( _not this time!_ ) she reached the bottom of the stairway. Just as she was about to pry the entrance door open, a voice stopped her dead in her tracks.

“Haley, can I talk to you for a second?”

Damn it.

With a sullen look on her face, Haley followed her mother to the kitchen. Claire sat at the counter as she waited for her daughter to do the same, though her expression was more tentative than angry. Maybe this wasn’t about her sneaking out after all.

“Hun, have you seen Alex anywhere?”

“Ah, yeah. She’s out back, mapping the constellations or some such nonsense.”

“Oh, good. Good.”

“Good?”Haley asked suspiciously.

“Um, yeah, there’s... something I’ve been meaning to talk to you about.” The evasive tone and furtive glances at the back yard weren’t making Haley feel at all comfortable. “You’ve noticed how your sister doesn’t really... have many friends?”

“What, Alex?! No way!”

“Drop the sarcasm, young lady. I’m trying to tell you something here.”

“Okay, okay, sorry,” Haley smirked. “Go on.”

“And I’m sure you’ve also noticed that she started to, uhm... develop.”

“Huh?”

“Well, you know...” Claire glanced down at her breasts.

“Oh! Right, yeah... you don’t have to tell me. First she was just borrowing my bras, now she’s stretching them too.”

“My point being,” her mother continued, “is that she’s blossoming into this mature young woman and in some ways... she still kinda behind. So I thought it might be a good idea to maybe... help her along.”

Haley’s eyes narrowed in suspicion. “Meaning?”

“Well, you know... If you could just talk to her--”

“What? Mom, no. Last time you had me talk to her, she went to that boy’s house and screamed she wasn’t a lesbian. Do you really want a repeat of that?”

“It won’t be like that, Haley. You’re both older now, and even though you fight all the time but she really thinks the world of you. If you could just feel her out, find out what’s going on, maybe if she need some advice on something... you know she’s not going to talk to us old fogies.”

“Oh my god, you did not just use the word ‘fogies’,” Haley said with an incredulous stare.

“Haley, focus!”

“Mom, no. It’s a bad idea, I’m not doing it.”

“Alright then” Claire concluded with a surprisingly calm tone of voice. “I guess your car will have to wait.”

Haley froze. “My _what_?”

“Oh, you know – I thought I could talk to your dad about getting you a car sometime in the near future, but if you’re not interested...”

“I am!”

“So you’ll talk to her?”

“Ok, but...”

“And I may even overlook the fact you’re sneaking off to a party if you come back before 1 o’clock.”

“Party? What party?” Haley tried unconvincingly, which only earned her a knowing smirk from her mother. “Ok, fine... I’ll talk to her.”

“Great,” Claire exclaimed and gave her a peck on the cheek. “Now off you go now.”

Later when Haley returned from the party, she found Alex already asleep. Just as well, she thought. She may need time to consider how best to broach the topic. But then she remembered her mother only specified talking, not getting any results, so with that in mind, she hit the sack as well.

 

ɣ

 

After finishing breakfast, Haley made her way upstairs. She wasn’t the least bit surprised to find Alex nestled behind a cover of a large book, though her sibling did seem in a good mood. Which, thankfully, should work in her favor. She nonchalantly plopped onto her bed and pretended to be using her phone. In reality, she was casting glances across the room to judge the most opportune moment to strike. After a dozen minutes or so, Alex closed the book and put in on her nightstand.

“So mom didn’t suspect anything last night?” Haley asked, knowing her sister would still be under the impression she’d snuck off successfully.

“Nah, you’re good.”

“Awesome, awesome. You know... it was _some_ party. Everyone was there. You should’ve come.”

“Yeah, right,” Alex predictably scoffed.

“I’m serious. It was really fun, you should come with me sometime.”

“Sure, sure. Even I did believe for a second you wanted me to come to a party you went to, they really aren’t... my scene.”

“You mean the lame bookworm scene?” Haley returned with a smirk.

“Better than the ‘Kicked out of college’ scene!” her sister exclaimed and got up to leave.

“Oh, jeezus, hold on for a sec!”

“What?” Alex paused at the door. “I don’t need this crap early in the morning.”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry. Look, just... sit down for a moment.”

Alex acquiesced and sat on her bed, her arms crossed over her chest defensively. “What?”

 “Well... there was this really cure guy about your age at the party and I thought maybe the two of--”

“No.”

“You don’t even know what I was gonna say!”

“Of course I do! And the answer is no – I’m not going out with anyone you set me up with.”

“Oh, so have your own guys lined up, do you?”

“Wh-- I mean, it’s not...”

“Uh-huh, that’s what I thought,” Haley concluded. “Alex, you haven’t even made out with anyone yet.”

“Not that it’s any of your business, but yes I have!”

“Oh, please! You mean that Italian kid at the ranch that was pecking at you like a chicken? Wake up, Alex! Right now, you’re firmly on the path becoming a miserable cat lady in your old age.”

Instead of a  response, Alex stormed off. Only a minute later, Claire walked into their room.

“What the hell was that?” she asked. “Alex looked like she was about to burst into tears!”

“I tried mom, but I told you this wouldn’t--”

“Well you better try again, young lady, or you can kiss that car goodbye.”

“But, mom!”

“You heard me.”

Damn it, she should’ve known this wouldn’t be so easy. And the way the two of them left it, it would be days before talking to Alex would be an option again. On the plus side, she knew the whole car thing was probably not happening either way. But for the very chance of it she would try again.

 

ɣ

 

Despite what she expected, the next chance for Haley came far sooner. She was dead asleep later that night, when she felt something at the foot of her bed. She glanced down to see Alex sitting there with an undecipherable expression.

“Wh—whadyawan?” Haley mumbled.

“Can, um... can we talk?”

“Tomorrow , ‘m, sleepin’.”

“O-okay,” Alex responded, but the word sounded almost like a whimper. Haley opened her eyes wider to see her sister’s faced suffused with apprehension, and she immediately knew something was off.

“Hey, what is it?” she reached for Alex’s shoulder.

“N-nothing, I just...” and again the younger girl seemed on the verge of tears, which made Haley feel like shit for only thinking about her car today. “I realized you’re right.”

“Wh--”

“I’m never gonna be with anyone, Haley.”

“Oh, come on, that’s not--”

“It is! Never mind kissing, I can’t even connect with anyone, can’t talk to them. It’s always something little thing, some excuse, and I latch onto that and... I can’t relax... it came to kissing a couple of times with a few guys and I always freak out...” she trailed off, staring awkwardly at the floor.

“Look, there’s nothing to it,” Haley said gently. “Just stop thinking about it so much, and once you start it will come naturally, trust me.”

“I can’t!” Alex exclaimed with exasperation. “I’m just not comfortable enough to go there. If only...”

“What?”

“If only there was someone I knew for a long time so I’m comfortable enough, then...”

“Yeah, well, I don’t think you’ll find a guy who’s willing to wait a few years for a kiss.”

“Tell me about it. And it would be even worse when they find out I suck at it.”

“You don’t suck at it, Alex.”

“Like hell I don’t! You were right before, I was just frozen like a statue when that guy kissed me, god, I can only imagine what he was thinking.”

“Just stop making a fuss over it!”

“Well, it’s easy for you to say, Miss ‘Kissing expert’,” Alex threw with an unwitting smile.

“Oh, I’m hardly a... well, yeah I guess I am pretty good,” Haley concluded smugly.

“Do you...uh...?”Alex tried tentatively.

“What?”

“Do you think you could teach me?”

“Um, what?”

“You know, like – tell me what to do.”

“Oh! Oh yeah, sure. Ok, so you just start with a simple kiss, a short one, like you’re testing new territory, you know? Then you go longer, and when it feels right, you slip your tongue in--”

“What?!”

“Your tongue, Alex, the thing you use for all your smartass comments?”

“I know what a tongue is! I just... oh, god, this isn’t helping...”

“Ok - you wanna know how to kiss?”

“Yes!”

“Listen up then – it’s all about body language. Come ‘ere,” she patted the place next to her on the bed, where Alex immediately scooted over. “So, first it’s about the look – your eyes should show what’s going on in your mind and I don’t mean fantasizing about meeting Galileo or something!”

“I... Galileo’s not...”

“I’m talking!”

“Ok, ok, sorry.”

“So when you look at them, your eyes should say something like, ‘Mmmm, the things I would do with you.’ You bite your lip, like you’re kinda shy, but maybe a little horny” Haley explained as she did just that, “You look down to their lips, like you can only barely control yourself. And then you reach over,” she said while tucking a strand of Alex’s hair behind her ear, “you slowly come close – like this... your lips hover over theirs, you close your eyes... I said close them! and then you just--

Right as she was about to say ‘do it,’ Alex did it for real – the younger girl’s lips closed the distance between then and pressed against Haley’s own. For a brief few moments Haley only focused on the feeling of the illicit act, her mind completely blank. And then reality came flooding back and she pushed her sister away.

“What the hell are you doing?!”

“N-nothing, I was just...”

“You were just what?!”

“I don’t know... I’m sorry,” Alex said, and quickly made her way to the other bed. With a quick duck under the cover, she lay with her face to the wall, all the while feeling Haley’s indignant stare on her. But neither of them spoke, and after a long period of sleeplessness and stubborn refusal to turn around, she finally surrendered to dreams.

 

ɣ

 

When morning came, Haley woke up to find the other bed empty. After a quick visit to the bathroom, she went downstairs and found her mother busy at the stove.

“Hey, hon. Did you sleep well?”

“Um, I don’t... kinda, I guess.” Lying was much shorter than the truth in this case. “Where is everyone?”

“Your dad’s off with a client, Luke out back and Alex is helping Manny with some project. Said she’d be there all day.”

“All day, huh?”

“Yeah... ooh!” Claire perked up, “Did you talk to her again?”

Half a mind on bolting out the door, Haley tried thinking of a an answer that would elicit the least amount of questions. “Um, yeah, we uh... talked.”

“Uh-uh, and?” her mother demanded, as she sat on a stool and devoted all her attention to Haley.

“Nothing, we... I dunno, I said how she should go to more parties, maybe come with me sometimes, we talked about boys, and I taught her—I mean told – _told_ her, about kissing and stuff.”

“Oh, god, you didn’t tell her to do that silly lip bite thing, did you?” Claire inquired with pretend worry.

“What? No! Shut up! I wasn’t... whatever.”

“Ok, so where to from there?”

Haley paused mid-way as she tried to get up and leave. “What do you mean?”

“Well, honey, you don’t think she’s going to turn into an ultra-social little flower over night, do you? You have to keep at it!”

“I am _not_ keeping at it. It’s bad enough that... just no.” With one foot out the door, Haley froze when he mother cleared her throat with a cough that sounded a lot like ‘car.’ “Ugh, fine!” she relented and went upstairs to get ready for another boring day at work.

Later in the evening, she was looking at some dresses on her laptop when Alex walked in. When the younger Dunphy managed to rush to her bed and duck behind a book large enough to cover her face three times over – Haley couldn’t figure out; she’d barely managed to close her laptop and Alex was already  concealed by one her ‘light bedtime readings.’ Rather than beating around the bush, Haley went over to her sister’s bed and sat right next to her. Alex tried her best to keep ignoring her, but it was getting more ridiculous by the second.

“Can we talk?”

“What about?” Alex tried with a pathetically bad pretense of ignorance.

“Give me that,” Haley grabbed the book, forcing the younger girl to look at her. “Listen, what happened last night...”

“Oh, god...” Alex whined and covered her face with her hands. “Could we not, please?”

“It’s not a big deal, Alex. It was just an accident... you got carried away and--”

“I kissed my own sister!” Alex squeezed out with her face still behind her hands. Her tone of voice made it seem like tomorrow everyone in town would know about it. And Haley’s calm demeanor wasn’t helping matters, apparently.

“By accident, you dork. Calm down.”

“How can you tell me to--?!”

“Alex, it’s no big deal – just stop it.”

“Of course it is!”  Alex insisted.

“No, look – look. Remember that guy who came over once, and he was kissing mom on the mouth and she freaked out because she thought she was hitting on her? Well later it turned out he was kissing everyone like that – his wife, his kids, grandmother, even... ugh, never mind. The point being, a peck on the lips is nothing. For that guy it was normal behavior. Maybe for him we’re the abnormal ones. Seriously,  who’s to say what’s normal and what’s not?”

Alex listened, having dropped her hands at some point during Haley’s explanation. She still seemed worried, but also just a little relived.

“Ok, but...”

“But what?” Haley prompted.

“You kinda freaked out a bit yesterday.”

“Well, can you blame me? My little sister shoved her tongue down my--”

“Oh my god, you’re such a liar!” Alex exclaimed in a fit of laughter and grabbed the nearby pillow to smack her giggling sister senseless. After a little while, they calmed down.

“You just caught me off guard that’s all. But it was nothing, okay?”

“Okay, so... we’re good?”

“Well, _I’m_ good,” Haley explained cheekily, “ _you_ need practice.”

“Oh, shut up,” Alex smiled and gave her another pillow smack. After that she returned to her book while Haley went back to her laptop. Some time later, they both slipped into their nightwear, Alex’s being her favorite pajamas and Haley opting for the usual white panties with spaghetti strap purple shirt. A full hour must’ve passed when Haley was roused from half-sleep by the sound of her sister’s voice.

“Did you mean what you said back then?”

“Huhm? What?” Haley mumbled back, not bothering to open her eyes.

“You know, that... that it’s normal for... _people_ to... kiss.”

What a dork, Haley thought. Only her sister would say something so silly.

“Yes, Alex, people do kiss,” she responded, now more firmly out of the dream’s grasp. “I know it’s a foreign concept to you, but...”

“Screw you,” came the expected response, though this time it lacked either the indignant venom or the accompanying humor from before; it was flat, like it was more of an auto response from Alex’s mouth while her mind focused on something more important. A few minutes later, the two seemed more in sync: “I mean when you and I... because, you know... being sisters...”

“I told you, ‘s fine.”

“Okay... well, I was just thinking...”

Well there’s a change of pace, Haley thought sarcastically.

“Since we already did it...”

“Did what?”

“You know...”

“No,” Haley insisted, now fully awake and propping herself up on to lean on her elbows. “What?”

“Well.... we kissed,” Alex said weakly.

“Okay?”

“So I was just wondering if, maybe... I dunno... it’s probably not something you’d... n-never mind, forget about it.”

“Oh my god, just spit it you already!”

Her eyes locked firmly downwards, Alex finally said what was on her mind.

“I just wondered if we could maybe do it again.”

Haley stared blankly. “Do what again?”

Alex rolled her eyes impatiently. Sometimes her sister could be surprisingly dense. But this wasn’t a topic where she had any leg to stand on when it came to snarky comebacks.

“If we could kiss again, Haley.”

Her sister’s eyes widened comically when the realization finally hit her. “Oh. My. God. Are you out of your mind? I am _not_ making out with my own sister! What the hell is wrong with you?!”

“But—but—you said it’s normal...”

“Because I wanted to ease your mind you freak, not because I wanted it to happen again!”

“F-fine, I’m sorry...” Alex stammered, her voice cracking like she was about to cry. Her sister didn’t seem fazed though.

“Good, you should be.”

No response came, but as minutes passed and they both lay there in the almost complete darkness of the room, the only thing that could be heard were faints sniffles from Alex’s bed. At first Haley didn’t really care if she was crying, but as more time passed and the sound went on, the more she started to feel horrible about the way she reacted. It wasn’t the kiss, or even Alex’s bizarre request; not really. It was more about yet another proof that Alex couldn’t be normal for one fucking day. But then it came to her, her own words: Who’s to say what’s normal and what’s not? Despite their constant bickering and needling interplay, she did love her sister, and the thought she was over there crying because of what she said to her was killing Haley.

“Alex?”

Another sniffle as a response.

“I’m sorry, okay? I didn’t mean... you’re not a freak, I am. And I’m an asshole. I wasn’t... god, would just say something?”

Nothing. This time not even the telltale sound of stifled crying was there. She couldn’t take it anymore. Haley got up and carefully made her way over there, the faintly lit room proving enough to avoid tripping over some books on the floor. She sat at her sister’s side, but Alex made a point to scoot over to the wall where her face would be better concealed by the dark. Haley still saw wet traces on the side of her face.

“I’m sorry, just... just stop crying, okay?”

“I’m not crying, you’re crying,” came the nonsensical response from Alex which immediately drew a smile from her. She grabbed her sibling by the hand and pulled her out of the shadow. “You’re right,” Alex said, “I am a freak. That’s why I can’t--”

“You’re not a freak, Alex! You know I’m not the brightest tool in the shed, don’t take what I sometimes blurt out seriously.”

“Sharpest.”

“What?”

“It’s sharp--- never mind. You _were_ right Haley. I’m a...”

As her eyes got used to the darkness, Haley was taken aback by how beautiful her sister looked in the faint moonlight. Even with cheeks streaked with tears, Alex was undeniably pretty, and only now was Haley realized how much. She wiped the tears from her sibling’s face, fraught with desire to make her feel better.

“Maybe... maybe you _are_ a freak,” Haley whispered, “but then so am I.”

She only saw Alex’s stunned expression for a second before instinct took over and she pressed her lips to her sister’s. Alex was soft, almost unbearably so, even with the latent stiffness caused by the unexpected contact. But that soon disappeared – she relaxed and all that was left was the blissful feeling emanating from their touch.

Haley slowly pushed the younger girl down onto the bed without breaking apart, straddling her hips as they  made out. It occurred to her that Alex still had her hands firmly by her side, and she had to suppress the urge laugh at this. Her sister’s inexperience was adorable. For a second she considered instructing Alex a little further, but that would require breaking the kiss, and that was out of the question. On top of that, having her little sister feel her up as they exchanged saliva still felt somehow wrong, at least more so that what were currently engaged in; it was a barrier that Haley wasn’t sure they should be crossing.

Instead, she deepened the kiss by tentatively probing Alex’s mouth with her tongue, and she immediately felt the younger girl’s lips twitch into a smile from the differing nature of their kiss. Haley explored her gradually, relishing each second of that forbidden union that Alex was all too willing to accept. It lasted for a time, and then Alex was the one initiating and seeking, her own questing tongue, mapping the lascivious path in and around Haley’s mouth. A quick study, Haley noted with an inward smile and then felt Alex’s hand reach behind her back to simply remain there. It wasn’t an act meant to take things further, just a simple desire to feel her sister and keep her close.

It was amazing how fast everything around her faded away from the simple feel of her sister’s lips, but the illicit union between the two had just such an effect. For Haley it was much easier to focus on the sensation of Alex’s tongue locked in a sultry struggle with her own than it was to ponder the implications of what they were doing. She couldn’t tell the thought process of her sibling, but if the fervor with which the younger girl responded was anything to go by, she eschewed all similar considerations as well.

Somewhere down the line, the amorous exchange must’ve ceased before they both drifted off to sleep, because the next thing Haley knew, she was startled awake by the sound of knocking on their door.

“Breakfast in five, girls.”

Haley froze from the sound of her mother’s voice, realizing she had snuggled up to Alex where she apparently spent the night. Suddenly she became all-too aware of her circumstance: from the fact she had fallen asleep with her hand over Alex’s breast; her sleepwear that at the moment felt a bit too revealing, to every single image from the night before that was currently being replayed in her mind. When she looked askance, she saw Alex was only beginning to wake up, so she carefully rose and went to her own bed, where she put on some leggings she usually wore at home. Just as she was about to head downstairs, she caught sight of a bleary-eyed Alex watching her. The younger girl was only starting to awaken and yet there was already a hint of uncertainty and worry on her face.

Haley couldn’t for the life of her think of what to say, which was just as well, since it didn’t seem like the right time to address what had happened. But as she reached for the door without saying anything, she realized there was one thing that she needed to know. She turned to Alex, and tentatively asked, “Hey, are you, um... okay? I mean...”

Alex quickly nodded, which helped alleviate at least some of her sister’s worries. Haley flashed a brief-but-awkward smile, then left the room. What would stem from all of this, she couldn’t even begin to imagine.


	2. Chapter 2

Breakfast started as a fairly awkward affair. Haley was only vaguely aware of the conversation that her dad and Luke were having (which may or may not have had something to do with launching popcorn into outer space) and had nodded automatically to whatever her mom was offering to pour on her plate. But she was acutely aware of her sister’s presence the moment she walked in and sat down. In the past, Alex made a point to sit opposite of Haley whenever the two were at odds, and right next to her on the rare occasions when their present relationship was anything close to amicable. This time, however, the younger Dunphy girl chose to sit at the foot of the table – between Claire and her sister, which was an indecipherable act that piled on top of the list of things weighing on Haley. Whether it was intentional or not didn’t matter; it only served to bring back with a vengeance every second of last’s nights events.

Still, Haley did her best to focus on her food, and keep every other thought out of her mind. Whatever she was eating tasted bland however, or her taste buds weren’t too keen on cooperating. Either way, the meal proved a poor distraction. Her body went through the motions; hand stabbing away with the fork randomly until she felt something stick, to then bring it to her mouth. Her thoughts though, much to her chagrin, ran in an entirely different direction.

Even now, she could almost feel the press of Alex’s lips on hers, from that moment her sibling had so thoughtlessly upturned the nature of their relationship. The tears on her sister’s face were more lost  to the haze of memory, but that urge to comfort Alex and make her feel better was as strong as ever, even as the memory of their first real kiss came flooding back. She remembered it all: the brief look of uncertainty, the incredible softness of those lips, the way Alex gradually learned to take cues from her, just like the great student she was. Only this wasn’t something an older sister was meant to teach a younger one. It was wrong. And that was the biggest problem.

It didn’t feel wrong. It felt... better.

Better than her first kiss with that clumsy boy at school, better than every boyfriend she’d had since, or even the few times she’d fooled around with her girlfriends. It may have been the fact this was the one person she cared most for in the world (though she’d die before admitting it), or it may have been something else. All of that mattered little when Haley realized she’d spent the last few seconds tracing her lips with her fingers in reminiscence of the night before.

She quickly pulled her hand down, with a panicked look around the table to see if anyone had noticed. Luckily, Phil and Luke were still yammering on, Claire was scrolling through something on her cell, and Alex had her eyes locked firmly on her plate. All was well then. Well... all except the fact she didn’t know how to act or what she was supposed to feel around her sister. Inadvertently, Haley’s eyes darted to Alex every now and then, unwittingly soaking in details she never noticed before. From the way the younger Dunphy girl tucked away her hair whenever it fell loose, the delicate skin of her neck then reveled, the strap of a bra unconcealed by the slightly oversized shirt, to the swell of her breasts, or the graceful contours of those lips. It only took an innocent act like Alex licking the flavor from lips to trigger yet another memory inside Haley’s head.

The feel of sister’s body pressed against her own, the welcoming and gradually more eager way with which Alex responded as they experienced what two sisters were never meant to share. She remembered the urge – that unsettling feeling she had suppressed at the time by discounting it as mere instinct unrelated to whom she was kissing. But now that there was nothing to distract her, the desire to slowly run her hand down Alex’s body was not something she could easily forget. That abhorrent compulsion to explore her lover ( _sister!_ ) further, fingers gliding down her stomach, slipping into her panties to feel the wetness found ther--

No!

That... that didn’t happen. Why did her mind wander there? What was wrong with her? And she had the audacity to Alex a freak. It wasn’t her fault though, she tried telling herself. These were just one of those... inclusive thoughts her sister mentioned once. No... that didn’t sound right. Intrusive! Yes, that was it. Not something she had any control over, and certainly not something she wanted. But the fact she had spent the last few minutes ogling the younger Dunphy girl certainly didn’t help matters at all.

 Her mind wandered along those lines for a little while longer, before the sharper pitch of her mother’s voice interrupted it.

“Haley!”

“What?!”

“I said your name like ten times already, what’s with you this morning?”

“Nothing, god! Can’t a girl eat in peace?”

Claire kept staring at her with no further comment, but she clearly wasn’t buying it. And then, her eyes turned to her other daughter.

For some reason Haley found this thoroughly unnerving. The very notion was bizarre but she almost felt her thoughts were on display while she was eating breakfast, and though her mother was certainly no mind reader, she did already pick up on something being wrong. And if Haley was giving off such an impression, then it’s quite possible Alex was as well. Once Claire started looking at both of them intermittently, the danger of somehow being found out became all too real.

This is what criminals must feel like, Haley thought as her dad and Luke went outside, when the police comes snooping around. The possibility of Claire getting the wind of what was really going on was borderline impossible. Nevertheless, it wouldn’t hurt to steer her in the wrong direction. And before she knew it, Haley was presented with an opportunity.

“You two had a fight again, didn’t you?”

“No,” Haley replied with a noticeably disgruntled tone of voice, hoping the fake nature of it wasn’t too transparent. She glanced at Alex who looked back with mild surprise, but the younger Dunphy girl seemed to pick up the nature of the game pretty quickly.

“Uh-huh,” came Claire’s near-inaudible yet disbelieving response. She rummaged the food around her plate with clear dissatisfaction for a minute or so, before playing right into Haley’s hand. “Haley, could you pass the peanut butter to your sister?”

Haley barely managed to suppress to urge to smile. Though well-intentioned, her mother’s attempts at reconciling Alex and her after a fight were often laughable. But for this purpose, they will do.

“She can get the damn peanut butter herself, it’s not a social life after all.”

Face in hands, Claire had barely begun her exasperated sigh when Alex shot back.

“Well at least I don’t have peanut butter for brains!”

Haley mouthed a silent-yet-bemused ‘what’ to her sister, to which Alex only shrugged with a smile, as if to say she was just trying to keep up with the deception. Luckily, their mother swallowed it whole – what better way to explain the air of unease between them than another fight?

Resigning to the realization there was nothing she could do, Claire rose from the table and headed outside to join the two boys (if not in age, then certainly behavior). As she closed the glass door behind her, she muttered something along the lines of ‘... be the death of me,’ which made the girls only smile wider.

But now that they were alone, that initial awkwardness once more begun to set in. Yet that little cooperative effort between them made Haley feel like breaking it.

“So... you want this fucking peanut butter or what?”

Their eyes locked for barely a moment before they both burst into a fit of giggles. The unease, though still present had at least begun to dissipate. It was then that Haley realized she was late for work. She cleaned up after herself, and was about to leave when she paused at the kitchen entrance. She felt the need to say something to Alex, though not exactly sure what, but after a few seconds of watching her sister finish her meal, she decided against it. There will be a time for it, just not now.

 

ɣ

 

When Haley returned from work she found out Alex was ‘out with friends’ which, for obvious reasons, was more than a little suspicious. And though she was feeling somewhat tired, after grabbing a bite and taking a quick shower, she made a point to stay in bed without falling asleep, lights off and all. Some time later Alex snuck in, doing her best to avoid making noise. Which made the light coming on even more startling.

“Oh, jesus!”

“Had fun?”

“Haley! Don’t... don’t do that,” Alex protested.

“Sorry,” came the cheeky response. “I was actually planning to dramatically turn around in a chair while stroking a cat,” she joked. “But we don’t have a swivel chair.”

“Or a cat,” Alex reminded her.

“Yeah, that too. So... how was the night out?”

“It, um... it was fun,” the younger Dunphy said unpersuasively.

“And these friends... anyone I know?”

Alex barely opened her mouth before she saw the knowing smirk on her sister’s face. “Ugh, fine. I... I was walking around, thinking... I guess I didn’t really want to stay in the house because I knew you would probably want to...”

“... talk?”

“Yeah,” Alex confirmed. “Talk.”

“Well, I mean... we don’t have to...” Haley tried, though her tone of voice made it obvious she didn’t really feel like that.

“Yeah we do.”

With a sigh of resignation, Alex sat sideways on her bed before Haley joined her. She was already expecting this to be weird, but that feeling instantly melted away when Haley grabbed hold of her hand, fingers entwined while stroking the back of her palm. She cast a surprised, sideways glance at her sister. Suddenly she couldn’t for the life of her understand why they had been bickering all of their lives.

_I guess all it took is one problem that we both have to work at. Oh, and one long make-out sessi--_

“Why are you laughing?”

“It’s nothing,” Alex said, trying her best to keep a straight face.

“Fine, be that way,” Haley replied and pulled back her hand. But Alex was quick to take it back, not wanting to let go of one of those rare moments of affection between them. And as if to make sure her sibling didn’t try retreating again, she leaned her head against Haley’s arm. The older Dunphy girl didn’t seem to mind.

They sat in silence for a while, until Haley felt like broaching the subject again.

“So... had any epiphanies while you were walking?”

Haley didn’t clarify, but Alex knew what she meant.

“No... not really.” No thoughts on what last night meant, no ideas on where they should go from here. The very idea that they were dealing with something like this wasn’t an easy thing to tackle. And it was obvious Haley felt the same since the next pause that ensued lasted even longer. After a while, Alex tried putting her confused thoughts into words.

“I guess... I guess it’s because it’s you.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well... I told you,” Alex went on, “I _know_ you. And you know me. I don’t have to pretend, I don’t have to make stuff up, trying to be someone I’m not.” This was usually the time when Haley would whip out a retort with a word ‘loser’ attached to it. The fact that she abstained meant the world to Alex. “And I suppose, you’re the only one I could ever be comfortable enough with to do that.”

That.

She put no special emphasis on the word, but it still hung heavy in the air. It wasn’t something she would ever ask, but she would reasonably sure the end of her sentence summoned back all the memories of their first kiss as much for Haley as it did for her.

Haley stayed silent for a little while, before she too voiced her thoughts.

“So... why did you... I mean after, when...”

“I don’t know... I kinda freaked out after everything you said. Maybe I was more worried about doing it than who I was doing it with.”

“And I just happened to be there, right?” Haley replied jokingly, but there was an undertone of hurt in her voice which Alex did not miss.

“No! It’s wasn’t like that. You’re the only one who _could_ be there, Haley. I... it’s hard to explain.”

“I think I get it. It was like... a way to get confidence.”

“Uh, sort of... yeah,” Alex conceded, but only because she wasn’t feeling up to explaining it any better. Part of it all was about confidence, sure. Another part... it wasn’t something she wanted to think about.

“You know,” Haley remarked, “most people would balk at the idea of making out with their sister as a confidence boost.”

“Whoa, ‘balk’?” Alex looked up at her sister in amazement. “Where did that come from?”

“I installed an app,” Haley explained. “I kinda... wanted to impress you,” she continued with a bashful grin. “I’ve actually been holding on to that one for a while.”

“You don’t need to do that to impress me,” Alex said and gave her a peck on the cheek. “And as for balking... well you and I both know I’m not like most people. I mean... just think of the benefits,” she went on in a half-joking tone. “If one day I do end up with someone, I’ll be able to say ‘Hey, I’m a pro at this! My sister and I made out a bunch of times so I have tons of experience’.’”

But though her lips quirked into a smile, Haley mostly seemed surprised.

“What is it?” Alex prompted.

“Nothing, I just... I guess I just assumed it was a one time thing. I didn’t think you would want to--”

“I don’t! I mean, I’m not asking you to... un-unless you... it’s up to you. I’m, you know... either way...” Alex tried sounding totally indifferent, but Haley saw right through it. The quiet whisper with which her sister finished her sentence made it obvious she would go along with whatever Haley decided. Which meant that, for better or for worse, the ball was in her court.

The problem was that she was stuck between a rock and a hard place. On the one hand, she didn’t want Alex to face yet another rejection and shatter what little confidence the girl had. On the other... well, what was the alternative really? What exactly would she be saying yes to? Repeating last night, more than once? That’s certainly what Alex implied. For her part, Haley tried telling herself it would be no big deal, that it was just kissing, that they already did it, that nobody would know, that Alex _was_ in dire need of both confidence and experience. But on the opposite side of all that justification was one single thing.

This was her _sister_.

No matter what they both had said, Haley had a nagging feeling they were standing on the edge of a rather slippery slope. There was a reason, she thought, they both tried to downplay the significance of what happened. The same reason why Alex seemed to tiptoe around her desire to keep this going. And whatever the reason was, it was inextricably entwined with something that on some level they both knew: they shouldn’t be doing this.

Which was the thought that brought her back to her present situation, to the fact it was now all up to her. Suddenly she remembered why she absolutely loathed responsibility.

“Can I think about it?”

“Yeah! Of course, I mean...” Alex trailed off. “And listen, if you... if you don’t think we should, then you know... whatever. It’s not like a big deal or anything.”

Once again, Haley tried suppressing the urge to smile, this time unsuccessfully. Her sister feigning indifference was as obvious as it was funny.

 

ɣ

 

 

Several days passed from what both girls would describe as the most uncomfortable conversation of their lives. Throughout the daily routine, the two would exchange awkward glances, trying their best not to act too weird around their mother.  Haley had assumed that as time went by, the tension between them would gradually disappear. Instead, every time she came back from work and found Alex in her room, her sister would have that subdued-yet-hopeful look on her face. And every time Haley went to bed, she tried ignoring the ill-concealed disappointment on Alex’s face.

But she firmly believed that after a while, things would go back to normal. The problem was the very idea of their version of normal was making her wince. The constant bickering, the infantile insults, the petty grudges. She didn’t want any of that. She wanted the new Alex, the one who placed reassuring pecks on her cheeks, the one who didn’t mind cuddling up to her, the one whose lips were softer than...

_Oh god..._

This was what she was afraid of. That she would start thinking of her sister differently, that the impersonal decision to help the girl’s confidence issues in an admittedly unorthodox way would morph into something in this vein – the moment when she would think about returning to her room to bond with her sister in a decidedly _unsisterly_ way and find that notion nothing but appealing. She was convinced that regardless of her decision, she could avoid feeling like this. That ship, however, seemed to have long since sailed.

She didn’t want to go back home and see that disappointed look on Alex’s face yet again. She wanted her smiles, she wanted (perhaps a little selfishly) her gratitude. But more than anything else she wanted her happy. And no matter what anyone else might say or think, she couldn’t see how that was wrong.

 

ɣ

 

In the moment she slowly opened the door, Haley heard a weird scuffle coming from her sister’s bed. When she came in, Alex seemed deeply into another one of her books, but the disheveled state of her pajamas and covers made it obvious she had just sprung into action and grabbed the book so as to appear normal and carefree. Haley smirked on her way to the bed. She didn’t look back as she changed into her home wear, then entirely focused on her laptop as she browsed a little before bed. No looking back as she pulled off her leggings and slipped under the covers, though she was fairly certain the other girl didn’t abstain in the same way.

After a while, Alex switched of her nightstand lap and they both lay in darkness. Haley listened carefully for sounds around the house, and when she was finally convinced everyone else was asleep, she propped herself up on her elbows.

“So... I gave what we talked about some thought.”

“Oh,” came the immediate response. Haley wasn’t the least bit surprised her sister wasn’t sleeping. “And, what did you, uhm... I mean did you...?” The words said ‘I couldn’t care less,’ but Alex’s tone of voice screamed ‘Talk, woman!’ Just for that, Haley decided to toy with the other girl a little while longer.

She slowly removed the covers, and then took her sweet time walking across the room. Her svelte, scantily clad form was faintly lit by the moonlight, and she would only later realize she was hoping Alex could see her. Upon reaching the bed, she sat down next to her sibling and took her hand.

“I’ve made a decision, and... I really think this is for the best.”

“Oh,” Alex came the quiet voice of Alex. It was already colored by disappointment. “I... I understand.”

Haley watched her darkened silhouette for a minute or so, then casually reached down and clasped her neck. She faintly registered the surprised little exhale from her sister’s lips before pulling her into a kiss. 

Beyond the softness she’d been craving these past few days, Haley felt Alex smiling, which was an emotion she unwittingly mirrored. After a few moments of the blissful touch of their lips, they parted, a thin strand of saliva the only thing connecting them before that too snapped. Haley leaned her forehead against that of her sister’s, simply enjoying the closeness they shared.

“So what do you think?” she teased, and wasn’t surprised to hear the subsequent answer.

“Best decision ever.”

“I thought you might like it,” she whispered, placing another peck on Alex’s lips. “Well... I’ll see you in the morning,” she said suddenly and went over to her bed.

“Wait, what?! Haley!” Alex whisper-screamed.

“Hm?” the older Dunphy voiced her response with disinterest, feigning the emotion a lot better than her sister did.

“Haley Dunphy, you get over here this inst--” Alex paused mid sentence, and then went over to the other bed. “Look, I have been patient these past few days, and I really don’t think it’s fair to--”

“You know Alex, you’re saying all those words but all I hear is ‘Haley, I’ve been dying to make out with you for a while now’.”

“Oh, please!” her sister scoffed. “As _if._ I was _not_ dying.”

“No? Well then... I guess we should call this whole thing off.”

“Wait, what? No, please... I...” she said with despair and hopped onto Haley’s bed to straddle her prone figure. “Ok, just... ok. You were right.”

“Say it.”

“Say what?”

“’I’ve been dying to make out with you’.”

“Haley, I’m not--!” Alex exclaimed then took a quick look at the door. “I’m not saying that,” she whispered. “What if mom overhears us?!”

“She’s asleep and you know it. We would also hear their door. So – I’m waiting.”

Alex glared stubbornly at her sister, or at least the smug little smirk that the light from the window revealed. Before she even thought about acquiescing, Haley prompted her again.

“Hmmm, god, I’m getting sleepy. I guess we better call it a--”

“Ok, fine! I... I’vebeendyingtomakeoutwithyou,” Alex blurted out as quickly as was humanly possible.

Haley wasn’t having any of that though. “Pathetic. Again, slowly.”

 _God damn it!_ “I... I’ve been dying to make out with you.”

With glee written all over her face, Haley leaned on her elbows so that their lips were mere inches apart. “Again.”

“I’ve been dying to make out with you.”

Eyes locked with Alex in a surreally intimate moment, she whispered a husky demand once more.

“Again.”

“I’ve been--”

Cut off mid-sentence, Alex glared like a deer in headlights for a fleeting instance before the sensation of Haley’s lips on hers registered. Instinct took over, she closed her eyes as he sister pulled her down without breaking apart. With gentle exploration, Haley placed soft little licks in-between tender bites of Alex’s lower lip. She gradually coaxed her into opening up, her tongue reaching out to find its mate. Faint cooking noises left her sister’s throat, or they would have if they had anywhere to escape. As it was, the approving sound merely came as encouragement to Haley, who against her better judgment drew her hands over Alex’s body, gingerly gliding her fingers across her back, over her hips, down the side of her legs... She hated not being able to feel her sister through the obstructive  fabric, wondering if how Alex would react to a suggestion that she should sleep in something similar to what Haley wore to bed.

It was then that she decided to break apart for air, to which Alex reacted with an irritated little whine before surging back to claim Haley’s lips. Despite the illicit nature of the moment, Haley couldn’t help but giggle at that.

“Wh...what?” Alex asked upon pulling back. She was clearly worried she had done something wrong.

“Nothing,” Haley said with a reassuring smile. “You’re just so... eager.”

“Shut up, ‘m not,” Alex countered and immediately kissed her again. They quickly resumed, Alex getting more and more lost in the moment and Haley trying to keep some semblance of control over it all. But when she felt Alex grind her nether region against her thigh with an accompanying whimper of disbelief, she knew they were on the verge of losing it. She stopped Alex, doing her best to ignore that little stab of pleasure in the pit of her own stomach. The implication of the feeling was not something she was keen on considering at the moment.

“Alex... I... I hate to do this...”

“What?” her sister asked with a sliver of indignation.

“It’s just that... I’ve been slaving away at work all day and I can’t tell you how tired I am.”

“Wh-- seriously?”

Haley almost expected the younger girl to be angry, but instead Alex seemed accommodating – if a little disappointed.

“I know, I know. I’m sorry. But if we keep this up, soon you’ll be making out with a coma patient,” Haley said pointedly.

“Well,” Alex mused a smirk, “I could think of worse things.”

“Pff, I bet you could, you perv,” Haley joked and pulled her in for another brief kiss. “I’m gonna make it up to you.”

“I’ll hold you to it,” Alex promised, her eyes tracing suggestively over her sister’s lips. With a cute little lip bite and a blush Haley couldn’t see, she went over to her bed thinking tomorrow couldn’t come too soon. 


	3. Chapter 3

Not so long ago, Haley used to wake up every day with a smile on her face. A life of little to no obligations peppered with parties, shopping sprees and hanging out with friends can have that effect. But now, when the first thought of the morning is having to deal with a boss who made being an asshole his carrier of choice, well... then her days usually started with a disgruntled groan and a stubborn refusal to leave the bed. Luckily for her, Alex had a habit of getting up earlier and waking her up, which saved her job on more than one occasion. This time however, she woke to find her sister asleep and the cell phone alarm still half an hour away. So she spent the rest of the time drifting in and out of sleep until the  dreaded sound came.

She turned off the cell and rose to stretch when a brief kiss Alex placed on her lips caught her off guard.

“Morning,” her sister chirped, and went about looking for something to wear as if this happened every morning. Haley didn’t really know what to make of it.

“Uh, morning... so, we’re doing that now?” she asked a tentatively.

“Doing what?”

Haley observed the other girl analytically, attempting to gauge if the nonchalant response was genuine or not. “Whatever,” she said with a smile, not really wanting to make a bigger deal of this then it might be. To be fair, a full-on make out session did trump a simple good morning peck, but somehow Haley couldn’t shake the opposite impression. For some reason, the casual way with which Alex greeted her didn’t seem like something to be dismissed out of hand. It was like their relationship was... evolving. Into what, Haley wondered.

At some point, her eyes must’ve wandered lower, because the next thing, Alex was asking her why she was looking at her like that.

“I just can’t believe you’re still wearing that thing,” Haley remarked offhandedly.

“What’s wrong with my pajamas?” her sister demanded with a hint of concern.

“Oh, nothing, they’re great – if you’re twelve.”

“They’re _comfortable_.”

“Awww, does poow wittle Awex need her wittle jim-jams to faw asweep?”

“Ok, ok, you’ve made your point,” Alex bristled. “It’s just that, I don’t have anything really... I guess I can tell mom to--”

“MOM’S buying your clothes, are you serious?”

“Well--”

“Alex, you’re going to college soon, you’re not a kid anymore!”

“I know, it’s just... I don’t really have the time to--”

“No excuses. As soon as I’m done with work, we’re going to a lingerie shop to--”

“No!” Alex shot back, harsh enough give Haley pause. For a moment she was taken aback by her sister’s outburst before it all clicked into place. The years of not dating, the stubborn refusal to put even a little effort into her looks, being self-conscious about her body... Maybe there was a better way to approach this.

“Ok, look... why don’t I pick something up for you on my way back?”

“Oh, do... do they have pajamas at--”

“Alex, I am _not_ buying you pajamas. Do you know how many times I’ve gone to the bathroom in the middle of the night and seen you wrapped up in that thing like in a straitjacket?”

“Well, I’m a restless sleeper.”

“Exactly. So don’t worry about anything, and later today I’m gonna bring you something nice.”

“How nice?” Alex asked suspiciously while glancing over Haley’s own, fairly light sleepwear.

“Not too nice, don’t worry,” Haley responded with a grin and eye-roll.

“I’m serious, if you buy me like a thong or--”

“Wh-- n-no thongs, I swear,” Haley squeezed out, pursing her lips so as not to laugh at the cause of Alex’s worries.

“And no... um...” the younger Dunphy went on, now faced with her sister’s expectant yet amused look.

“You don’t know any other panty types, do you?”

“Well Britannica’s lingerie section is a little light!” Alex returned indignantly, and was about to leave when Haley grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her back. She had only meant to stop her sister from moving away, hoping her smile was enough to show that the little taunts were wholly benign. But before she knew it, Haley was holding Alex pressed against her, and her sister seemed a bit caught off guard. It was strange how something like that could still feel awkward, given what the two had already done when the lights went out. Yet rather than dropping her sister like a hot potato and in all likelihood cause further self-esteem issues, Haley held her like they had done this a million times.

“So, I’ll see you later, ok?” she said, and before Alex had a chance to even nod, kissed her on the lips. The intent was to simply kiss her goodbye, but seconds later they weren’t stopping, the brief lip-lock now growing into something decidedly less innocent. When Haley finally did pull away, she expected that sliver of awkwardness to be evident on Alex’s face as well. In truth, the younger Dunphy was smiling with a kind of gratitude that made Haley think her sister was an object of such affection far too few times.

 

ɣ

 

Hours later, Haley was one step away from screaming. And quitting. You wouldn’t think ten minutes was enough time for demanding a hundred different, inconsequential-yet-tedious tasks, but her boss sure did make it work. The only thing stopping her from dropping his precious flower pot right on his head was that positive feelings she somehow managed to hold onto to throughout the whole morning. It was only when she finally managed to get a moment’s rest that she realized what was causing it.

Though it was mostly at the back of her mind, the idea she would be seeing Alex later has helped her keep her sanity in the face of ever-more unreasonable requests. As soon as gets off work she’ll head straight home, actually eager to spend time with her sister. It wasn’t lost on her that the reason behind this newfound desire wasn’t something most people would approve of, but she couldn’t really bring herself to care. For once in their lives Haley and Alex were getting along for more than a few hours per week. Who cared if theirs was no longer a standard sibling relationship. The bottom line was that the very thought of her sister brought a smile to Haley’s face and she couldn’t wait to be rid of the stuffy office to go home.

But as she sat at her desk waiting for another menial task, she began wondering. How would Alex greet her when she came back? Would she kiss her on the lips, which seemed to be their thing now? Maybe not if their parents were around of course, but would she _want to?_ Or would she perhaps make a point to wait for Haley in their room so she could greet her _properly?_

Properly...

That word echoed inside her mind. Whatever her feelings for Alex were, or were becoming, she was fairly certain improper was a better way to describe them. Yet in the sanctuary of her thoughts, no one was the wiser on her recent ponderings. No one would ever learn of how she reminisced of every illicit second Haley spent with her sister in the privacy of their room. The way those memories brought about an unsettlingly familiar warmth in the nether region was for her and her alone – even though she refused to even acknowledge it, much less analyze it. And throughout it all, always that flimsy excuse, the justification that they had already kissed, so anything stemming from or close to that wasn’t really a big deal.

So if – bored at work as he was – Haley were to... _indulge_ in some of those improper thoughts, that wouldn’t be such a bad thing, would it? It’s been a while since she had a boyfriend, and she was only human. The fact the subject of these thoughts was her sister was... purely incidental. If she had made out with her best friend, the subject of those fantasies would be consequently different. But _was_ that the ruminations were – fantasies? After all she only thought about kissing Alex, nothing else, as that’s all they did. And they’d never dare do anything else, being that they _were_ sisters at the end of the day, and boundaries were something to be heedful of. Though perhaps... not in her mind. No one would ever know, not even Alex – if she chose to hide it from her. And these were... what was it? Ah, yes. _Intrusive_ thoughts.

Not something she had much control over and quite a slippery slope. One moment it’s only about Alex looking shyly at her before tentatively venturing for a kiss; the next, a mere memory takes on a life of its own: she’s shoving her sister against the door, deepening an innocent lip-lock into something positively sinful. Alex is caught off guard for a moment, then eagerly yielding to her sibling’s advances.

With leisurely exploration, Haley’s hands roam over the curves of her sister, up her thighs and hips, snaking their way into her form-hugging top to caress her stomach. Fingers trail upwards as more of Alex’s skin is revealed. Then the two girls part, and as Haley quickly relieves her sister of the intrusive blouse, Alex barely manages a single plaintive yelp before their lips join once more and she dissolves into the passionate kiss.

The younger Dunphy doesn’t notice when her bra clasp snaps open, her body running on autopilot as Haley removes yet another obstacle between them.

No moment is wasted, and Haley’s hands are right back, this time gliding up to envelop each full breast of the younger girl. Faint whimpers of pleasure are the immediate response, and they grow steadily louder as Haley massages the tender flesh. Then, in a fit of mischievousness she squeezes the fleshy orbs roughly – much rougher than she’d ever dare in reality – her lips swallowing the lusty sounds from Alex’s throat. Caressing the sensitive nipples for only a moment, she subjects them to the same painful sensation in tweaking the turgid peaks until her sister’s breaks the kiss with a hoarse moan. But Haley quickly silences her again, now content with the mixture of pleasure and pain her sibling was going through. With the left hand continuing the ministrations, her right one slithers down to unbutton Alex’s pants and worm its way inside. It’s no surprise the panties are sodden, and she wastes no time inserting a finger into the moist entrance that made them so.

It only takes a simple brush of Haley’s palm against her clit, and Alex bucks forward with despair, eager for the contact that will finally push her over the edge. She’s thoroughly dripping, her sex loose and pliant against the invading digits. So when Haley inserts another, she encounters no resistance beyond the difficulty of underwear that hinders her movements.

For Alex’s part, each new contact seems to heighten pleasure, and increasingly desperate motions make it clear she’s close to its peak. Taking the hint, Haley viciously twists her teat with a simultaneous pistoning of fingers in and out of her sister. She feels Alex tighten around her, vocal lust spilling form the younger girl’s lips as Haley breaks the kiss to relish the expression on her face as it’s contorted by the onslaught of orgasm.

Alex begs with broken words for her sister to stop, but to Haley it only serves as further incentive and she continues to mercilessly finger-fuck Alex despite the pathetic protests. In no time at all, the younger Dunphy is reduced to a whimpering, orgasm-wracked mess, chest heaving, pants sodden, yet hands still clutching to her sister. When at last she opens her eyes, it’s only to see Haley’s smug smirk as the fingers leave her sex, to then be licked clean by--

“Dunphy!”

“Uh-uhm, yes Mr. Sinclair?” Haley muttered as she was torn from her fantasy.

“I told you – my darling needs to be moved every few hours to stay in the sun!”

 _I’ll plant your darling right on top of that giant head of_ \-- “Right away, Mr. Sinclair.”

“And turn on the AC, you look like you’re about to have a heatstroke.”

Trying her best to appear normal, Haley resumed her duties around the office. Hopefully but the time she’s finished, she’ll be able to put what just happened out of her mind.

 

ɣ

 

Upon returning home, Haley was surprised to find it completely empty. A note on the fridge made it clear the rest of the family had gone to Jay and Gloria’s so after a quick bite and a shower she collapsed onto her bed and dozed off. The next thing she knew, Alex was bursting into the room like she was late for a test.

“Oh! Sorry, I didn’t know you were...”

“ ’s fine,” Haley said drowsily. “I was about get up anyway.”

“So how was work?”

Though she pretended otherwise, the question cleared Haley’s mind instantly. “Um, you know... same old, same old.” _I wasn’t fantasizing about having sex with you, if that’s what you were thinking._ “What was going on at grandpa’s?”

“Pool, barbecue, the usual waste of time. Then later they all went to a restaurant and I--”

“Rushed back home to study?” Haley prodded with mock-disappointment.

“N-no,” Alex attempted sounding persuasive. “Actually...” and then her eyes fell on the shopping back by her sister’s bed. “I wanted to see what you got me.”

“You lying dork,” Haley said with a smirk. “You just saw that. But fine, go look.”

For the first time in her life, Haley watched Alex jump onto something new that wasn’t a book with barely-restrained curiosity. As her sister rummaged through the bag, she couldn’t help thinking how much better it would’ve been if she had persuaded her to go shopping together. An entirely innocent thought, she trying telling herself. They could’ve gone through a hundred different shops, looking for underwear a little more grown-up than ‘Hello Kitty.’ And who better to point Alex in the right direction than Haley? Of course, as insecure and inexperienced as she was, Alex would like needed more than a little help;  she’d ask for Haley’s assistance with all the different panties and bras, maybe even pulling her into the stall as she’s trying out--

“Haley?! What the hell is this?”

“Ok, don’t freak out--”

“This is lace!”

“Yes, and it wasn’t cheap, let me tell you--”

“I _told_ you not to get me anything like this!”

“Alex, just... hear  me out. Look... that can be your ‘just in case’ set--”

“In case of _what?!_ ”

“Seriously? Just... you know... whatever. Look, just keep it here,” Haley placed the lingerie back in its package and under her sister’s bed, “In case you need them, alright?”

“Ugh,” Alex huffed “you told me you’d get me something to sleep in.”

“They’re right there,” Haley pointed to the bag. Alex went back in, and this time there was no indignant outburst.

“OK, so this... isn’t that bad. But Haley, I still don’t know why  I would sleep in--”

“Because, _dork,_ it feels nicer, you won’t get suffocated by your precious pajamas and it, um... gives you ease of access.”

Alex stared at her cluelessly. “Huh?”

“God, you’re hopeless. Look, never mind, just try them out.”

“What? No! The others could be back any second.”

“Excuses, excuses,” Haley chided. “You know damn well Joe takes hours to finish eating. Come on, look – I’ll even-- there,” she assured, and turned the lock of their room door.

They stared at each other, Alex  trying to be appear as if she wasn’t anxious about trying the underwear out, and Haley as if she wasn’t eager to see her do it. At last, the younger Dunphy relented.

“Fine,” she said, and emptied the bag on her bad. Haley sat on her own, watching her sister disrobe until Alex noticed it.

“Uh-uhm!” Alex cleared her throat, the impatient stare making it clear what the problem was.

“Oh come on!” Haley shot back with a disbelieving grin. “You know I’ve _seen you_ a hundred times, right?”

Alex did know, yet it was different to change clothes when Haley happened to be in the room than it was to do it _for her._ Either way, Haley acquiesced, turning her head towards the window whose blinds were luckily pulled shut since she took her nap.

Yet beyond granting privacy to her sister, the window also gave her a chance to watch the other girl without fear of being caught. Not that there was anything to be caught _in,_ of course. But she had to look somewhere, and it was by pure chance that her eyes landed on Alex’s curvy, now naked form, which Haley found far more alluring than she’d ever dare to admit. She unwittingly bit her lip as Alex slipped into the panties bought for her, her eyes then drawn to the side of a breast far too quickly concealed by the matching shirt. In retrospect, Haley knew she had gone a size too small, but seeing the fabric hug Alex’s body persuaded her it was the right decision.

When Alex cleared her throat again, Haley turned around to look at a hilariously insecure-looking, yet undeniably sexy girl. The coral-colored tank top with matching boyshorts panties had transformed her dorky little sister to the point she had to remember not to be too obvious in her staring.  Yes, she _had_ technically intended this to be sleepwear, but she couldn’t really go for drab, boring looking things like those Alex already had. She just hadn’t expected to be so taken aback by her sister’s sex appeal – even as apprehensive as Alex was looking right now.

“I, uh... I feel weird.”

“Of course you do,” Haley noted. “Your best outfit looks like a burlap sack. Trust me though, you look absolutely se-- uhm, good.”

“Absolutely good?” Alex asked with amused suspicion.

“Damn right,” Haley played along. “Look, come here.” She pulled open their closet, and shoved aside the hanging clothes to reveal the haplessly placed mirror inside. They rarely used the thing, but for this opportunity, it was perfect. She placed Alex in front of it, as she stood behind her, finally with an excuse to let her eyes wander over every inch of her sister’s body. Just to check whether everything fit, of course.

“Yeah, I... I still feel weird.”

“It’s called ‘being sexy,’ you dork.”

“I don’t know, Haley... I don’t think I can pull it off,” she said while turning to face her sister.

“Pull it off?!” Haley exclaimed with an incredulous bark of laughter. “You’re kidding right?”

“Come on, Haley. You and I both know I’m not... well – like you. You get looks wherever you go, whereas as I--”

“Bury your nose behind book covers and dress like a homeless person? I know,” she half-joked. “But trust me, if any of your loser class-mates saw you now, they’d be drooling, boy _and_ girls.”

Alex looked at her in a ‘kinda flattered but still not sure you’re telling the truth’ way. “Really?”

“Yes! Alex, you’re... you’re hot, okay?” There, she said it. It was worth the potential weirdness of calling her sister hot just to see that smile on her face. Unfortunately, it was short-lived.

“I think you’re just trying to make me feel better, Haley.”

“No, I’m--! Ugh! Look, you know I’ve always said you were a total dork...”

“Uh-huh.”

“... that you can’t dress to save your life?”

“Yeess?”

“... that Robinson Crusoe has a better social life than you?”

“Alright, Haley, jeez! I thought you were trying to make me feel better.”

“That’s my point! You know I call it like I see it! So when I tell you you’re hot, believe me. I mean think about it,” Haley lowered her voice as she stepped closer to Alex. “You got your own sister to make out with you. How many girls can say that?”

“Well, yeah...” Alex responded, awkwardly struggling for words. “For all I know, you did that out of pity.”

That was the last straw. Haley shoved her sister against the closet door, staring deeply into her eyes as she whispered softly. “You... have... _no idea_ how sexy you are. And if you weren’t my sister, I’d...”

She stopped mid-sentence when Alex’s eyes widened in surprise.

“You’d what?” came the tentative voice.

“I... n-never mind.  Come on, get dressed. The others will be here soon.”

She left Alex alone in their room, as desperate to forget the end of that sentence as her sister was to hear it.


	4. Chapter 4

The remainder of the night went about as well as could be expected. If the rest of the family hadn’t been there, both Haley and Alex knew they’d be redefining the term “awkward silence.” As it was, the pretense of an entirely normal relationship between them seemed to work well as far as the others were concerned. They had dinner and then watched tv together. When the movie finally ended, Haley realized she was so engrossed in the sappy romcom she’d missed that everyone but Clair and her had gone to bed. As her mom rose and stretched, Haley briefly wondered if her sister would still be up, but when Claire kissed her on the cheek she snapped out of it.

“Night, hon.”

After that, Haley stayed on the couch for a little while longer, thoughts wandering aimlessly. But at some point she slowly headed upstairs. A part of her hoped Alex would be asleep; she was in the mood neither for talking nor awkward silence. Another part... another part hoped for something else. Maybe her sister wouldn’t be interested in talking at all. That was a far more pleasant scenario to contemplate.

Just as she was passing the bathroom door, she paused for a moment and then went inside. She stepped to the mirror to look over her appearance, some vague semblance of an idea forming in her mind.

At first she just straightened her slightly disheveled hair and was about to leave. But then she paused again.

_Maybe..._

After a few seconds, she unclasped her bra and pulled it out from under her tank top. She _was_ going to sleep, after all – which is probably what Alex was already doing. But... in case she wasn’t...

Her eyes darted to the lip-gloss she’d left on the nearby shelf, before realizing how stupid the idea was. Lip gloss only proves unnecessarily messy when it comes to kissing. Not that there would be any of that, but Haley couldn’t deny a small hope of the night proving her wrong on that.

She shook her head with a chuckle, realizing she’d spent the last minute or so with that hint of trepidation she felt whenever she was going on a date. Which was beyond silly of course. This was Alex. And not even kissing would be... No, no... it’s no date. But...

Despite her intent on finally going to her room, her mind briefly wondered.

_What if..._

Her blue jeans would be a must of course. What use are skirts and dresses when they don’t completely accentuate her best features? Then... that black, asymmetrical top – only a hint of cleavage, which the exposed midriff more than made up for. Beneath, the lacy black thong with matching bra. Alex wasn’t really a fan of skimpy lingerie, but Haley had a feeling she’d come around if she saw her sister in it. Then a touch of black eyeliner, carmine red lipstick... She would look amazing. And no doubt Alex would think so too. But now...  it was a silly thing to contemplate.

She switched off the light and left the bathroom. When she came to her room door her heart skipped a beat.  A faint light could be seen beneath, likely from Alex’s bedside lamp.

Inside, her sister was – unsurprisingly – behind the cover of a book, only this time Haley was amused to notice it was upside down. She would’ve chuckled at the fact, were her eyes not drawn lower to see Alex wear the sleep set she got for her. Her eyes wandered over Alex’s curves, before she realized she was staring and forced herself to go to her bed. Predictably, Alex acted clueless.

“Alex, could you come over here for a sec?”

The younger Dunphy walked over, book still in hand and sat by her sister. She seemed quite at ease, until Haley grabbed the book and turned it over.

“I think they’re meant to be read that way,” Haley noted with a little smirk.

“Oh!” Alex mouthed in sudden discomfort. “Yeah, um... I was, uh...”

“Whatever,” Haley interrupted, still smiling. She wasn’t really that interested in whatever excuse her sister was trying to come up with. But then awkward silence they’d side-stepped earlier began to set in. After a little while, it was Alex who broke it.

“So, um... are we, uh...”

“Are we what?” Haley feigned ignorance. She knew exactly what the question was but still wanted to hear it said.

“Well, I mean... n-nothing, I guess,” Alex concluded awkwardly and started to get up. “I should probably go to sl--”

Haley grabbed her hand and pulled her back to sit on the bed, trying not to laugh at her sister’s indecisiveness.

“You’re useless, you know that?” she jokingly said, her expression making it obvious she was just having a little fun.

“Well, I mean...”

“Alex, what would you... I don’t know... Imagine you saw me at a club and you wanted to ask me out.”

“Wh-- you?”

“Yeah, me, your crush, whoever.”

“I don’t really have a crush.”

“Sure you don’t,” Haley rolled her eyes. “But it happens and you’re there and... how would you ask me out?”

“I... I don’t know. Maybe something like... ‘I haven’t seen you here before. Do you--’”

“Riiiiiiiight, because you’d be the regular at the club?” Haley remarked with a bemused grin.

“See, I told you--”

“Look, you’re fine, just... if it comes to it you can always just ask if you can buy them a drink. But honestly, just letting them know you’re interested is often enough. You don’t need to do... well nothing than what you’re doing now.”

At those word Alex looked back up but it wasn’t missed by Haley where her eyes were a moment ago. Turns out removing the bra _was_ the right idea.

“Um, I don’t... know what you mean.”

“Well, you were kinda fuckin’ me with your eyes there.”

“What?! N-no I wasn’t!”

“Ok, maybe not fucking, but definitely undressing.”

“Haley, I don’t know what you’re... I mean why would I....”  Alex paused for a few moments, clearly unsure of what to offer as her defense. To say her voice was tentative when she finally spoke again would be an understatement. “We’re just doing this so I would get some confidence, right?” The need for reassurance was evident, but now Haley was at a loss of words. What the hell was she supposed to say?

“Yeah.... yeah, of course,” she finally answered. It was weird staring at each other with both knowing there was not a shred of truth to the dubious confirmation. But Haley couldn’t outright _say it._ “Speaking of which, you have a thing or two to learn about incentive.”

“Huh?”

Haley rolled her eyes impatiently. “Kiss me, you dork.”

With a shy smile and a moment’s worth of hesitation, Alex took off her glasses, leaned over and pressed her lips against Haley’s. At first it was tentative, like the tactile equivalent of asking a question, but as seconds passed and she grew bolder, Haley felt her little sister probe her mouth with her tongue, a gentle exploration both of them enjoyed in equal measure. With their tongues locked in a sultry dance, Alex gently pushed her sibling against the wall, straddling Haley’s thigh with her legs.

If the lesson was incentive, Alex was certainly a quick leaner.

Haley relished each illicit second of their union, unwittingly guiding the younger girl with intermittent lessons throughout. A gentle nip of Alex’s lower lip, a fraction of a second to build sheer anticipation before placing a lascivious lick, a brief respite to part for breath, wherein the only contact between their lips was a thin strand of saliva, before it too vanished. Then she’d surge to her again, not surprised Alex welcomed each advance to then soon follow up with some of her own.

Time had a strange habit of flying once your mind’s soul focus was on feeling and touching; Haley knew that well. But she was still surprised to hear a startled little yelp from Alex’s lips when, beyond her notice, her hands slipped down to cup her sister’s ass. The two girls were clearly not lost in the haze of it all enough for Alex’s mind to forgo protesting at the unexpected touch.

“It’s fine,” Haley reassured her in a low, husky breath. “Don’t worry about it, ‘s fine...”

Whether she just really wanted to resume what they were doing, or because Haley’s words had assuaged enough, Alex closed the short distance between them yet again, the nascent kiss now fueled by the sensation of her sister feeling her up. A fraction of her mind screamed how wrong this was, but it was slowly being drowned out by a much larger, rationalizing part. They had already kissed, more than a few times. This was simply a natural part of it. And Haley wouldn’t tell her it was fine were it not the truth. On the contrary, the older Dunphy continued the mapping of her sister’s voluptuous derriere, gently sliding over the skin, then across the thin fabric covering a part of it.

Her fingers had a mind of their own; there was only so many things she could focus on at once. What she did register was the feel of Alex’s breasts against her own (regretfully noting the younger girl still had her bra on,) and the imperceptible movement of her sister’s hips. Alex slowly ground her nether region against Haley’s thigh, which made the older girl curse the leggings she wore as yet another obstacle between them.

As the faintest of whimpers came in a steady pace from Alex’s throat, Haley became acutely aware of a spot of wetness at the place where her little sister ground against her. The very thought Alex was becoming wet for her further stirred the pleasurable warmth pooling in the pit of her stomach. She wished she could slip her fingers inside the now sodden underwear, to hear that moan of surprise as she entered Alex’s pussy and tore down the last barrier between them. But now, despite what they were doing, she wouldn’t dare. She couldn’t risk Alex freaking out. Rather she would gradually coax her into a state where every suggestion, no matter how wanton or depraved would be met with her sister’s enthusiasm.

During this short reverie, the motion of Alex’s hips noticeably increasing in speed. Haley took it as a sign, and as the now increasingly passionate kissing continued, she brought her hands upward, up Alex’s stomach and to her bra-covered breasts. She _hated_ the fact her sister still had it on, but more than a little adored how each ample orb filled her hands, how Alex pressed into them to better feel her touch. Her mind briefly wandered to her work-place fantasy, wishing she could fulfill it completely, to squeeze each nipple until they were painfully turgid, to then envelop each with her mouth and suck...

For now, she settled for the gentle massage of the tender flesh, relishing how Alex neither protested nor try to restrain the moaning whimpers which the contact elicited.

Somehow, Haley missed the wetness of her own panties, but there was no escaping the trail Alex was leaving on the fabric covering her thigh. She doubted even her sister knew what she was doing, lost in the grip of bliss as she was. But still Alex continued, breasts pressed against her sister’s hands, lips locked in a heated kiss.

The more she grew aware of it all, Haley wanted, _needed_ to reach down, to enter Alex with just a finger or two, and get her off with a few practices strokes. She recognized her sister’s frustration, the inability to get to just the right amount of contact that would push her over the edge. And she’d do it _so well,_ she knew. She’d done it before, although admittedly, much of that night with her once-best friend was lost the haze of alcohol. But she had no doubt she could finger Alex to a blissful orgasm; show her what she’d been missing with hear near-celibate way of life, and what she could have if the two of them were to continue down this path. The moans from her fantasy synced up with reality, and she realized they had broken the kiss. She watched Alex moan, eyes closed, hips still grinding needily. As the current of ecstasy caught up with the younger girl, she shook her release with breathless exhales, the orgasm apparently taking her off guard.

“Oh god... oh god...” Alex whimpered, her lips curving into a little smile now that she’d come on her sister’s leg.

She stayed like that for a little while, and then slowly she opened her eyes as the realization of it all sank in.

“Oh god,” she mouthed again, this time with a note of panic in her voice. Her eyes darted down to Haley’s hands, her mind painfully aware of both the sodden state of her underwear and Haley’s thigh. Before the older Dunphy could utter even a word, she got off the bad and rushed out the door. The slammed sound of the bathroom door followed suit.

The very next moment Haley rose after her, then paused mid-way. What the hell would she even tell her? Never mind the possibility of waking up her parents. _No..._ Instead, she sat back on her bed, mind fraught with worry and resentment over how all of this worked out. One moment they were... getting long, and the next it all came crumbling down. She knew Alex would want to avoid going back to their room, even considered pretending to have fallen asleep for her benefit... but couldn’t shake the feeling that letting Alex run from what had just happened would be a bad idea. Haley wasn’t entirely certain how she herself felt – now that she didn’t have her sister’s lips to take her mind off of the reality of it – but she certainly wasn’t completely losing it like Alex seemed to. Or maybe it was momentary. Maybe she would come back to the room and be fine. Maybe...

 

ɣ

 

The feeling that woke her was of someone sitting on the lower part of the bed. She blinked her eyes open, realizing she had fallen asleep waiting for Alex to return. How much time had passed since, she couldn’t really say – though one look at the tiny slits of the window blinds told her it was still nighttime. But now Alex was there, with a worried look on her face.

“Hey, are you oka--” Haley tried as she reached for her, but Alex shifted away from her hand.

“Haley, could you... could you just stay there please?”

“Oh. Okay...”

Alex apparently did want to talk, which came as something of a relief to the older girl. But the way she sat away from her wasn’t very reassuring. Silence lengthened for a time, as Alex tried to put her thoughts into words. When she spoke, the tone of voice was all it took for Haley to guess the course of the conversation.

“Haley, look. This... this was a bad idea. When it was just kissing, it was fine – or... or maybe I just tried to persuade myself it was. But now... Look, we can’t do this. This is ince--”

“Don’t!” Haley interrupted sharply, to which Alex looked up in surprise.

“What?”

“That-that _word._ I hate that fucking word.”

“Well, I mean... it’s what this is.”

“No, it’s not!” Haley responded with a sliver of indignation, her hand unwittingly grabbing Alex’s. “We are NOT _..._ some brain-dead hillbillies about to create a mutant baby, okay?” She ignored the subdued chuckle that came from her sister upon hearing those words.

“Okay,” Alex went along tentatively. “So... what are we doing then?”

“I don’t know,” Alex sighed and slumped down onto the bed, her hand still entwined with Alex’s. “We’re... bonding.”

“Bonding?” Alex giggled.

“Yeah, bonding,” Haley confirmed firmly, doing her best not to crack a smile she felt coming. “Now shut up about it.”

Alex leaned her head against her sister’s shoulder, as they both stared at the opposing wall, her voice even quieter than what they used for keeping their nighttime moments together a secret. “Haley, we can’t just sweep this under the rug. We need to talk about it.”

“Ugh, why? Can’t we just... I dunno, see where it goes?”

For a little while no answer came, with Alex contemplating the idea and every implication. But there was till one thing she needed to ask Haley.

“Where would you want it to go?”

“I’m... I’m not sure. But I think I would be fine with wherever it went. And you?”

Alex kissed her cheek, the press of her lips as soft as the words then spoken. “I think I’d be okay with that too.”


	5. Chapter 5

“Haley, Alex, you guys up?”

When the sound of her mother’s knocking startled her awake, Haley was surprised to find Alex lying next to her, arm and leg wrapped around her body. Yet she only had a second to see the ‘deer in the headlights’ look on her sister’s face before the younger Dunphy bolted to her own bed and slid under the covers. Looking back, Alex saw Haley give a reprimanding glare and gesture at the door to remind her they had made a habit of locking it for some time now. And luckily, their mother never ventured to ask them about it, chalking it under the girls needing their privacy. Haley was only thankful Claire had no idea what that privacy exactly entailed.

“Hmhmh, kind of...” Haley responded groggily. “What?”

“The rest of us are going to grandpa’s, you wanna come?”

Oh right. The forecast did call for some sweltering heat today, and spending the day at the pool did sound good. One look at Alex though, told Haley her sister didn’t feel as enthusiastic. She couldn’t judge if the headshake was meant for Alex or both of them, but either way, she went with the latter.

“Nah mom, you guys have fun. Alex wants to study and I have to wo--” _It’s the weekend, stupid._ “Um, stick around to help her out.”

Even through the wooden door, Haley could hear her mother’s disbelieving scoff. “Uh-uh, right,” came Claire’s muffled voice. “If you don’t want to go, just say it.”

“Fine, I don’t,” she responded and smirked to herself. Claire didn’t seem keen on insisting so after a minute or so, the sound of the car at driveway announced their departure.

Across the room, Alex watched Haley until the older girl looked back, upon which her she cast eyes downward with a shy smile. It seemed that even the presence of her own sibling, Alex was never a hundred percent comfortable. This time however – and given what had happened the night before  – Haley couldn’t blame her for it. A small part of her felt the same, some tiny, vague notion of awkwardness, that had by now almost entirely dissipated. A much stronger emotion, or rather urge, dominated her thoughts, and before outright indulging it and lunging to Alex to claim her lips with a kiss, she wanted to know whether the feeling was mutual.

“What are you thinking?”

“Well...” Alex began slowly. “Just one thing really. Dibs on the bathroom!”

“Oh, no you don’t you little...!” Haley jumped at the door, but Alex was too fast. The door slammed shut in her face and all she could do was curse her luck with a bemused smile on her face. She grabbed her leggings from the chair, put them on and waited for Alex to finish. Five, ten, fifteen minutes, and she was still waiting. When the bathroom door finally opened, Haley exited the room just as Alex was about to come in.

“Next time hurry up,” she noted, and gave her sister a playful smack on the ass.

“Hey!” Alex exclaimed with pretend indignation. “What was that for?”

“I felt like it,” Haley shrugged and made her way down the hall. She couldn’t deny it was an ass perfect for smacking, squeezing, pinching, spanking...

“Well, don’t do that,” Alex protested transparently; the subdued smile gave her true feelings away.

“Or what?” Haley challenged just as she was about to enter the bathroom. “You’ll get yourself off on my leg again?”

She saw Alex gasp in shock like a fish out of water for a second or two before she closed the door and devolved into a fit of silent giggles. The expression Alex had upon hearing those words was beyond priceless.

After Haley was done as well (and it didn’t even take her all of eternity like it did some people), she went back to their room. Alex was lying on her own bed, and much to her delight, Haley saw the younger girl was still wearing the panties and tank top that she coaxed her into using as sleepwear. She knew that usually Alex would already be dressed and neck-deep into twenty different books. This time there was not even a paper in sight, and Alex’s clothing was still neatly folded over her chair. Haley wondered, or rather hoped, if all of this was for her benefit. Whatever the truth, there was still the matter of that earlier urge that needed indulging.

Casually making her way to Alex, Haley climbed onto the bed, straddled her hips and leaned in to give her a soft kiss. She wasn’t surprised to feel her sister respond, and for a few blissful moments the two girls were once again lost to the world in their own little cocoon of intimacy.

“I love how this is normal for us now,” Haley noted when they parted for breath, then placed another peck on Alex’s lips.

“None of this is... normal,” Alex countered, yet her actions told she wasn’t too concerned about it. She hugged Haley and held her close, responding in kind to each press of her sister’s lips.

“Well, we’re making it normal,” Haley slipped in between the kisses, and though the protesting moan from the younger Dunphy told her Alex didn’t quite agree, she was glad to see her sister’s reluctance didn’t warrant ceasing what they were doing. Neither of them could tell how much time they spent embraced like that, but when at some point Haley pulled back, her hands tucking the strands of Alex’s hair aside, she was surprised to see Alex still loth to meet her gaze.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” her sister assured with a light head shake. “Everything is... just right.”

“So?” Haley demanded again, because _something_ was clearly bothering her.

“I, just... my mind keeps going back to yesterday... when I... you know...” Alex tried explaining as her cheeks blushed an endearing red.

 _Oh... that,_ Haley thought and felt her lips spread into a smile that could’ve won the ‘Smugness of the year ’ award. “You mean when you came on my leg?”

“Oh my god!” Alex wined and covered her face with her hands to escape the rush of embarrassment. “Please, don’t... don’t say that!”

“What? That’s what you did.”

“I know! Alright? I know... and I still can’t believe I just...”

“Oh please,” Haley rolled her eyes at Alex’s mortification. “What’s the big deal?”

“You’re my _sister,_ that’s what the big deal is!”

“Alex, I thought we went over this.”

“We have. I just... I guess I need some time to get used to it.”

“Take all the time in the world,” Haley said and revealed Alex’s blushing face. Her sister was finally able to meet her gaze, yet it didn’t last long: “And in the mean time, my legs are at your disposal.”

“Oh god!” Alex squealed again and tried to cover her face but Haley held her arms pinned.

“Stop it, Alex!” she warned, but with a smile. “Look, I don’t want you to feel embarrassed around me. Not when... we’re _alone._ ”

“Okay, okay... fine. I’ll try not to be.”

“Good,” Haley noted, but still wasn’t releasing her. “Now I want you to say ‘ I came on my sister’s leg, and I wouldn’t mind if it happened again.’”

“What?! Haley, no!”

Alex barely managed word her indignation when Haley pressed her lips to hers. It was as if Haley knew the detrimental effect the kiss would have on Alex’s critical thinking skills.

“Say it,” she breathed against her lips, then drawing back just enough to look into Alex’s eyes. “Please.”

Alex glared at her stubbornly, but then she finally relented. “I... ca-- Oh dear god... I came on my sister’s leg and I wouldn’t mind if it happened again.”

“There,” Haley awarded her acquiescence with another smooch, “Isn’t it better to tell the truth?”

“Puh-lease,” Alex tried with her best serious scoff. “Who said it’s the truth?” Yet even then, the edge of her lips threatened to curve into a smile.

“You did, silly. Remember this? ‘Oh god, oh god, Haley please yes right there, oh god, fuck yes! YES!’”

“You filthy liar!” Alex bemoaned her renewed embarrassment through a fit of giggles. “That’s not how it happened.”

“No...” Haley agreed with a more serious tone of voice. “But that’s what _could_ happen.” As if to emphasize her point, she pulled up and readjusted her body until she could with ease reach between Alex’s thighs. Her fingers trailed over the panty-covered mound for barely a second when Alex grabbed her wrist.

“Haley, wait. Could... could we just...?”

 _Just kiss instead? Not do that just yet? Not do it in the light of day?_ Whatever her sister’s plea was about, Haley’s response would be the same regardless: “Yeah, of course,” she told gently and kissed her cheek before lying next to her, hand and arm wrapped around just like Alex’s when they slept together. _Slept together..._ They hadn’t done it in the usual sense, but it somehow felt just as intimate. Waking up to Alex like that... Haley wouldn’t have minded if every morning greeted her with that feeling.

“I’m serious though. There’s nothing to be embarrassed about.”

“Yeah, okay.”

“I mean you just...”

“Haley, I swear to god, if you say that again...”

“Fine, fine...” Haley giggled her assent. “I’m just saying it’s not weird or anything. We all have our dry spells. I mean how long has it been since...?”

“Since what?”

“You know,” Haley suggested as her finger drew random patterns across her sister’s stomach. “Since you’ve visited Pleasuresville, population: you; or spent some quality time with Mr. Showerhead?”

“Oh! Um, yeah, I, well...” Alex muttered awkwardly.“It’s – you know, hard to keep track, right? I mean I have SO much work to do and I don’t really...”

To any other person in the world, the explanation haplessly cobbled together might’ve appeared genuine. Haley wasn’t any other person; she knew Alex too well. And that faint undertone she picked up on birthed a worm of suspicion that would not go unanswered. She propped on her elbow to look at Alex with scrutinizing eyes.

“Alex... you _have_ had an orgasm before, right?”

“What? Are you serious?! Of course I have! Why would you even ask me such a-- I mean I have orgasms all the time, pretty much.  Just last week I had one, two actually! And it, you know it was really, really something. I mean they all are, especially with the... the showerhead! Oh, don’t even get me started on that little gem! It’s like, you go in there, and you’d rather not leave – ever, am I right? So yeah, orgasms... had’em, love’em, can’t get enough of them.”

Whatever hope Alex had that her answer was anywhere close to persuasive was dashed the second she saw Haley’s face.

“Oh... my... god,” Haley breathed out, apparently too shocked to show any emotion at all. “Why... would you not TELL ME?!” she smacked Alex’s arm, her expression now teetering between anger, amusement and disbelief.

“What? You said it’s not a big deal!”

“I wasn’t talking about that. Alex, having an orgasm for the first time is kind of a big deal.”

“Well great, now I’m freaking out.

“Oh don’t start again, that’s not what I meant,” Haley tried assuaging her with a gentle voice. “It’s just that... you tend to remember stuff like that and... I don’t want you to look back on this one day and hate the fact it was me.”

“That’s your concern?!” Alex shot back with an incredulous grin.

“Well--” cut off mid-sentence, now it was Haley’s turn to be interrupted by a kiss as Alex closed the distance between them. She inwardly smiled at the fact that so much of their discourse was better conducted in a tactile manner.

“I’ll never hate the fact it was you,” Alex said after breaking the kiss. “It’s a million times better than some guy who’d end up cheating on me or something.”

“I’d never cheat on you,” Haley smirked teasingly, “though I wouldn’t be opposed to a threesome. _A looot_ of cute girls out there.”

“Oh shut up,” Alex pushed her back playfully, and then they were both lying on the opposite side of the bed. But it seemed even that stalemate of sorts couldn’t last either.

Haley glided her thumb up Alex’s leg, getting closer to her panties once again. “So.. any change of heart?”

“Haley, you’re insufferable.”

 “I’m just sayin’, you have a lot of catching up to do.” _And I wouldn’t mind lending a hand._

“Yeah, well... not everyone has a dedicated ‘happy time,’ just for that.”

The second he heard those words, Haley froze. “What did you say?”

“What?”

“What you just said, ‘happy time’ – where did you get that?”

“Nowhere? I didn’t... what are you...” and the Alex’s hesitant tone was all it took.

“You went through phone?!” Haley screamed out.

“It was just one message, I swear. The screen lit up, what was I supposed to do?”

“Um, not look at it?! Oh my... you are so, so _lucky_ you’re on my good side right now.”

“I am?” Alex batted her eyelashes innocently.

“Like you don’t know... but don’t go through my phone again.”

“I won’t, I promise. Besides, it’s not like I didn’t know about it already.”

“You knew?” Haley looked at her in surprise. She though Alex _suspected_ what she sometimes did over in her bed during the night, but not that she knew. “How?”

“I have ears?”

“Oh my god,” Haley slumped onto the sheets as she laughed. “Why didn’t you say something?!”

“Oh sure,” Alex returned sarcastically. “That would be some conversation: ‘Haley, could you stop masturbating please, I’m trying to get some sleep’?” And this of course only made her sister’s giggling fit all the worse. When Haley finally calmed down, her eyes had the gleam of a nascent idea in them.

“So... did it do anything for you?” she asked with a mischievous smirk.

“What?! No! Are you insane? You were my sister.”

“I’m still you sister,” Haley remarked and leaned over to glide her finger down Alex’s arm. “So would it do anything for you now?”

“You... you are _not_ suggesting what I think you’re suggesting, right?”

“Why not? Nobody’s home, curtains drawn, blinds half-shut, and you wouldn’t even have to do anything.” _Just watch._

“Ok, so you _are_ insane,” Alex stated matter-of-factly. “We are not-- it’s broad daylight!”

“All the better,” Haley whispered, then climbed over Alex as the younger girl was pushed to lie down. “Just picture it. I... _take care_ of myself, and you get to see it.” She gave her sister brief peck on the lips, before laying down a path of kisses down to her neck, slipping in a few husky words between each: “I’d move my panties to the side... tease myself... caressing my pussy ‘til I’m wet... pinch my clit... then I’d slip in a finger... maybe two... knuckles deep... wouldn’t take me long... and with you watching... I’d probably ruin your sheets.” She unwittingly pressed her knee between Alex’s thighs, drawing a startle exhale from the younger girl but continued all the same. “Mom would notice... she’d know what it is... she’d know what I did for you... what _I’m going_ to do to you... she wouldn’t say anything... always wanted us to get alo--”

“Haley!”

It only took a single word for Haley to be startled out of the imagined scenario. She realized how much she got carried away, what she said, the scenes she envisaged...

“Oh god... I’m sorry,” she breathed out apologetically as she got off from Alex.

“’It’s fine,” Alex took her hand. “But you went a bit overboard. I told you I need a little time.”

 _Oh._ It seemed the younger Dunphy didn’t even register those last several words. Probably for the best, Haley thought. The memory of them alone was making her cheeks warm and blushed.

“Yeah, of course. I’m sorry. It’s just... well let’s say I’ve been having a bit of a dry spell as well.” Though it was the truth, it was more of last moment correction than the first thing that came to mind. But it was something that slipped from her mouth easier than the simple fact of just how much she wanted her little sister. And now that they had – more or less – agreed they’d  see where things went, it was much easier to act on it. Admitting it however... still felt strange.

“Oh!” Alex’s eyes widened from the sudden realization. “Well, I mean... you know if... I... I don’t know whether...”

“God, you’re such a goofball,” Haley chuckled. “I’m just saying – don’t be surprised if you hear some _sounds_ from my bed later this evening.”

“Okay, I did _not_ need to know that.”

“No,” Haley agreed. “But now you do. Question is, what are you gonna do about it?”

“Um, Haley... I’m not sure what you’re suggesting...”

“Oh nothing _untoward,_ I promise,” she jumped at the opportunity to use another word from her dictionary app. “But if you took a peek, caught sight of something... maybe picked up a thing or two.... I probably wouldn’t mind.”

“I... I...” Alex tried wording a response, but Haley merely kissed the back of her hand and got up.

“Just think about it, okay? Come on, put some clothes on and let’s get something to eat.”


	6. Chapter 6

Haley and Alex were half-way down the hall when Haley’s phone sounded. She went back to the room, and to no surprise, the name of her boss was flashing on the display.

_Not today, you don’t._

She muted the thing and let it ring on, relishing the image of that asshole losing his shit over one unanswered call. The job was certainly something she needed, but she’d be damned if she’ll be at his beck and call on the weekends as well.

When she came downstairs, Haley found her sibling next to the counter, fiddling with an assortment of foods and condiments. Her eyes darted down Alex’s body, content in seeing the leggings and tank top she’d bought for her. Maybe, Haley thought, she was finally started to rub off on her little sister.

 _Rather than the other way round,_ she reflected with a wry grin. Alex didn’t seem to notice her so Haley walked ever-so-slowly over, mind torn between what she will do and what she would like to do to the younger Dunphy girl.

She’ll walk over there and place her hands gently on Alex’s hips.

(She’d grab her ass.)

She’ll lean her chin on Alex’s shoulder.

(She’d kiss the back of Alex’s neck.)

She’ll ask her what she’s doing.

(She’d ask her if there’s anything she could do for her.)

She’ll wait for the answer and actually listen.

(She’d wait for no answer, and slide her fingers to the front.)

She’ll let Alex go and that’ll be that.

(She’d pull Alex closer and slip a hand inside her leggings. Knuckle’s deep inside her sister, she’d kiss her neck as she got her off, until Alex is a whimpering mess leaning over the counter for fear of her legs not working. Then she’d pull out and lick her fingers clean, humming in satisfaction at the--)

“Um, Haley?”

Oh.

Oh. She’d been standing there like an idiot for god knows how long. Alex was looking back at her, hands still busy with food.

“Hey, uh... what are...” Haley slowly descended back to reality. “What are you making?”

“It’s called a sandwich,” Alex explained with a jokingly formal voice. “named after John Montagu, who was the 4th Earl of Sandwich. It is said that he invented it when he asked a servant to bring him some meat between two slices of bread. Apparently, the idea was to not have his hands greasy, because he wanted to play cribbage while eating.”

No thanks to the evanescing scenario in her mind, Haley actually caught all of that. “My god, you’re so full of crap,” she smirked at her sister.

“No, I’m serious,” Alex insisted as she turned around, but then stopped when Haley closed the distance between them.

The older Dunphy placed her hands on her sister’s hips, holding her, trying to decide how much of that recent  fantasy she ought to indulge. But for a little while she just stared at Alex, wishing her admiration, and yes – now even attraction – could translate onto the way she was looking at her.

“Alex... I’m going to kiss you now.”

It was so stupid, announcing her intention like a fumbling teenage boy who’d never done anything of the sort. But broad daylight was very different from the muffled light of their lamp or faint rays of the moon. And the privacy of their locked room was not the same as being in the kitchen. She wanted, _needed_ to see the reaction in her sister’s eyes when that statement left her mouth.

“Oh...” Alex breathed out weakly, lost for words. Her  eyes spread slightly, a smile tugging at her lips held back perhaps only by guilt.

This was stupid. Of course Alex would freak out from the mere suggestion of doing this in--

“That’s, um... that’s fine.”

Haley barely had time to grin her response before capturing Alex’s kiss with her own. It was an illicit contact whose brevity Haley absolutely resented; she knew Alex was not used to intimacy of any kind escalating into something more (hell, she was barely used to the intimacy). So forcing herself to break contact was clearly the right decision.

Of course, she didn’t count on Alex’s response.

“We shouldn’t be doing this in the kitchen, Haley,” the younger girl said before surging forward and kissing her sister right back.

“No...” Haley admitted in brief moments where their lips weren’t sealed together. “We shouldn’t.”

“We... we should stop, right?”

“Definitely,” Haley agreed, only to immediately deepen the kiss. They remained lip-locked in the kitchen for a short while, before a loud noise outside of the house startled them, causing them to pull apart. For a second they both glanced at the front door, before remembering the rest of the family wasn’t due for at least a couple more hours.

 _Fucking neighbors._ But that was probably the reminder they needed to realize they’ve gotten carried away.

Alex shot her a brief, shy smile, before turning around to finish her sandwich. “You want one?”

“Yeah,” Haley nodded, “make me a 4th Earl with extra pickles.”

 

ɣ

 

Hours had a funny way of whizzing by when you start up Netflix for “just one episode.” A few more of those, and the two girls were sprawled together over the couch, table covered with sandwich, soda and ice cream remains. When the last episode ended, Haley sauntered over to the fridge with Alex in tow.

“I’m still itching for something sweet though,” she groaned.

“Well too bad, cause that was the last of the ice cream.”

“Yeah...”

However, there was some whipped cream left in the can. Haley pondered for a moment and thought what the hell. Titling her head backwards, she wrapped her lips around the tip and sprayed a large amount frothy goodness straight into her mouth.

 “Haley!”

“Hwhhth?” The older Dunphy returned through the mouthful of the stuff.

“You’re like dad. What if someone else wants to eat that?”

“Oh, you want some?” Haley grinned mischievously and painted a white line of froth down her sister’s nose.

“Okay... I see where this is going.” With a deft and sudden move, Alex yanked the can and dropped a big dollop of white stuff right on top  of Haley’s head.

“Oh. My. God.” Haley returned with pretend indignation. “You’re so fucking dead right now.”

Several minutes later their clothes, hair and faces were covered with cream and  – having resorted to flinging any food within reach – pickles, cherry tomatoes, olives and bread crumbs. And it wouldn’t have been so bad if at that very moment the front door didn’t open with their mother’s voice calling their names.

_Oh shit._

When Claire walked in and saw the complete mess they’d made, she calmly walked over without a hint of emotion, eyes going back and forth between the two sisters. Casually reaching over to grab the pickle slice stuck on Haley’s cheek, she swallowed it whole before settling on the appropriate punishment.

“Bath, wash. Room, grounded,” she curtly declared. “One week.”

The joint, indignant outburst decrying unfairness and age too old for grounding had barely begun when Claire raised a hand to stop it. “You want two weeks?”

With repentant and borderline angelic faces, the two sisters made their way upstairs to wash up. However, only one of them entertained fairly libidinous ideas of what they could do in the bathroom, knowing, of course, she’d have to try that some other time.

 

ɣ

 

A little before midnight, instead of being in her own room, Haley was in the kitchen, faced with the expectant eyes of her mother.

“Well?”

Well.... at least the grounding was just a temporary thing. Apparently being at a pool in scorching heat does wonders for one’s mood. So it wasn’t long before Claire rescinded the punishment. But just before Haley was about to go to sleep, her mother broached the subject Haley had almost completely forgotten about.

“Well what?”

“You and Alex,” Claire clarified. “How is your... _thing_ going?”

Haley tried not to let her eyes bulge out too hard at those words. Right, _the thing._ What was that again? Something about confidence, bringing Alex out of her shell? Well... in a sense, Haley _was_ doing that. Though probably not in the way Claire had imagined it.

“Oh. You know, it’s... going. We’re talking about stuff, and... I’m, uh... doing my best to get her to try new things. ” _One kiss at a time..._

“So are you seeing any changes? Any boyfriend on the horizon?”

Haley winced at the word. For some reason, the thought of her little sister being with some random dude left a sour taste in her mouth. She’d never in a million years imagined being in a situation like this, but actual jealousy was slowly beginning to gnaw at her. It stemmed from mere sisterly affection, she tried telling herself. Yet it was hard to deny what a prospective boyfriend would mean for their budding relationship. Suddenly, she felt a sliver of anger at her mother for brining this up. Best not to let it show though.

“Well, I mean... it’s too early for that, mom. You know what she’s like. I can’t just shove’er out the door at the first guy who comes along” _And if any guy does come a long, I’ll slam the door right in his face._ “We’re taking it slow,” Haley concluded, which was technically true.

“Oh, honey...” Claire said with a light head shake, “you have to be a bit more encouraging and firm with her. Do some stuff to together. Let her know you’re there for her, if there’s anything she needs to talk about. And don’t just wait for her to address it, she’s shy. If you’re going out, tell her how much you’d like it if she went with you. But don’t be forceful, it’s much better to coax your sister into coming.”

_Oh my fucking god, she did not just say that._

“R-right,” Haley agreed, hoping she maintained a look of neutrality starkly different from what she was really feeling. “I’ll try, mom.”

“Atta girl.” With a wink and a smile, Claire left the kitchen and went up the stairs.

Haley stayed frozen in place for several minutes, thoughts running over every word of their conversation. There was a part of her that sort of felt guilty over what Alex and her were doing, in light of Claire’s little task. In a strange way, Haley felt like she was betraying her mother’s trust. But that small part was vastly overshadowed by how much she enjoyed every second she spent with Alex. And really, what was she to do? Go back to petty animosity they’d spent most of their lives? No. No way. Not in a million years, not for a million dollars – or a car, as it were in this case.

Back in her room, Haley found Alex lying in her bed with the lamp still on. Remembering her words from the night before, she leaned down to give her sister a peck on the lips as a good night. But her face must’ve been showing her intent, because just as she rose and reached for the light, Alex’s words stopped her.

“Haley, you’re not _really_ going to... you know?”

“No,” Haley smirked “I don’t know. What are we talking about here?”

“Oh, come on. You know... the thing we... _talked about_ earlier today.”

“Oh!” came the feigned realization. She leaned down to whisper in Alex’s ear: “You mean getting myself off?”

Alex winced at the words. “Yes, _that_. You’re not...?”

“Hmm, not sure really. Would you want me to?”

“What?! I--! You-- Haley! Weren’t you saying this morning how you don’t want me to feel embarrassed? Well this is really not helping.”

“You’re right,” Haley gave her a hug. “I’m sorry. But I told you – dry spell,” she shrugged. “Would you really mind if I...”

Cue the fish-out-of-water Alex.  “I mean, you know... I don’t really... What I mean to say is...”

“I could just go to the bathroom if you want.”

“No!” Alex was quick to stop that idea, much to Haley’s surprise. The backtracking was even faster. “I mean, that’ stupid,” (Haley couldn’t tell why), “just, you know...”

“Look,” Haley spoke softly, “I was kidding around with some of the stuff I said. I don’t _have to--_ ”

“No, Haley, I... I’m kinda being selfish here. I... I want you to.”

“Really?” Haley perked up with a smug smirk.

“Oh god, that... that’s not what I meant. You do your thing and I... I’ll just put some earphones on, okay?”

“Yeah, you could do that. But didn’t we agree we’d see where this is going?”

“I... I guess so,” Alex relented.

“Alright then. So, say you don’t _watch._ But how about not putting the earphones on?”

“Oh.”

“Yeah, you can just... listen to the sound of my breathing, the sound of... _other things_ as well. Just focus on what you hear, how ‘bout that?”

After a moment’s worth of hesitation, Alex nodded her assent. “Okay.”

Haley gave her a smile and turned off the light, then walking over to her own bed.

For her part, Alex still felt a little uneasy about the whole thing. Haley’s gentle mannerisms and the supportive tone of voice helped alleviate it, but listening to your sister masturbate is not something one really does every day.

Alex simply stared at the ceiling, thinking maybe she’ll fall asleep to the sound of silence. Maybe Haley had reconsidered, maybe she won’t actually go through with it.

And then the room was not quite as silent.

At first, only the faintest, barely audible breathing of her sister was heard. It grew ever-so-slightly louder, and as far Alex could tell, a little bit faster too. At some point, she started to pick up other things as well. The faint movement of Haley’s hand, as it sped up in motion Alex had a hard trouble not imagining. After that came the distinct sound of wetness, and Alex inadvertently stopped breathing lest she actually miss any of it.

‘ _Did it do anything for you?_ ’ she remembered Haley’s words. Well if it didn’t then, it certainly was now. It was strange how sounds so weak and barely audible could still feel so undeniably loud, like they were somehow amplified in Alex’s mind. And then came the moan. First one, then after little while another. It was a far cry one might expect from a porn star in a raunchy video. In fact, Alex was certain her sister was biting her lip in trying to keep herself as quiet as possible.

Part of her wished Haley didn’t have to do that, that she could just let herself go. And she also wished she could see her, instead of barely making out the dark silhouette across the room as she was doing now.

When she realized she was watching, Alex guiltily refocused on the ceiling, as if she was the one doing something inappropriate. But she could hardly deny that the notion of what was appropriate was getting increasingly blurred for the two of them. So what if she watches? It’s not like she could see anything. Only by that point, her eyes had grown largely accustomed to the dark and even the faint starlight streaming through the slits of the blinds was enough to get a pretty clear picture. Or at least it would be, if she were closer.

Almost hypnotized, Alex rose soundlessly off her bed, doing her best not to interrupt Haley in any way. As she got close, her eyes drank in the details of the scene she’d only caught glimpses of:

Haley biting her lower lip; her turgid nipples poking at the thin fabric of her tank top, which in turn clung to the sheen of sweat from her body brought on by the heat in the room; the motion of her hand, almost frantic; her panties pulled to the side; Haley’s  fingers sliding in and out of herself, the heel of her hand brushing her clit along the way.

Alex was so mesmerized by the scene that she hadn’t even noticed when she sat beside Haley, her hand now an inch away from her sister’s. But Haley apparently did notice.

Before Alex knew what had happened, Haley ‘s free hand grabbed her own, her eyes still closed, her other hand still producing obscenely wet noises.

Alex was breathless from the scene alone, but holding her sister’s hand during something like this was on a whole other level.

Haley kept at it, seemingly oblivious to her sister’s presence even as she gripped her hand tighter. Before long she froze, back arched, toes curling, voicing her release with a few sharp exhales. She slumped against the sheets, as a blissful little smile spread on her face.

Alex looked away, suddenly flush with embarrassment though completely forgetting to untangle herself from the fingers entwined with her own. Haley’s voice, though, made that even worse.

“Um, I think I’m okay now,” Haley smiled knowingly after glancing down at their hands.

Alex could only gasp in indignant shock. “Hey, you grabbed _me_!” she countered and got up to go to her own bed.

“Uh, yeah sure, whatever.”

Haley looked over at her sister as she lay in her bed, unable to interpret her reaction beyond the words they’d exchanged. So she tugged her panties back into place and sauntered across the room. She hopped onto the bed, straddling Alex’s thigh and intentionally placed her sodden crotch on it. Whether Alex noticed was not something she cared about.

“So?”

“So what?” Alex managed, giving new meaning to the word ‘discomfort’

“What did you think?”

“Haley! I... Are you serious?”

“Yup,” Haley nodded. “Tell me.”

“I don’t... I don’t know. It was, um... educational.”

“Oh my god,” Haley giggled. “I swear, you’re such a goofball. No other person in the world would watch their sister get herself off and call it educational.”

“Well, I don’t know what you want me to say.”

“Say you paid attention, because tomorrow, I’m gonna quiz you on this. You like quizzes, don’t you?”

“Uh, what quiz, what are you...”

“Doesn’t matter, you’ll see. Night.”

“Haley!”

But the older Dunphy was already back in her bed, and Alex could think of nothing that would prompt her sister into further divulging the details. Rather she just lay there, at some point becoming painfully aware of the wetness Haley had left on the skin of her thigh. Alex knew she probably ought to do something about it. She just had trouble deciding what.

 


	7. Chapter 7

Haley was already awake when the sound of the car speeding off of the drive way reached her. She’d been staring at the ceiling for the past half hour or so, listening to the muffled sounds of other members of the family getting ready. Judging by the irritated reprimands of her mother, Claire had been dying to make use of the last day of the week for yet another Sunday at Jay’s pool. With the nascent heat that could already be felt in the room, Haley couldn’t really blame her. But she had already mentioned Alex and her would be staying behind today also, which Claire had been in full support of – much to Haley’s chagrin. Every time her mother expressed enthusiasm and joy over her daughters bonding, Haley winced inwardly. Though in the end, she simply told herself Alex and her were really getting closer. Did it really matter in what way?

Well, it did, probably.

Only Haley had by now largely forgotten that little detail. The fact that Alex and her both agreed they were fine with it had been like an open door. Now that they were on the other side of it, the older Dunphy girl wasn’t really sure where it all lead. Where exactly _could_ it lead? If Alex ever actually managed to relax to the point of allowing this to blossom into an actual relationship, they couldn’t exactly come out and announce it to the whole world. People wouldn’t understand. A lot of the times Haley didn’t really understand it either. The whole thing sort of... snuck up on her. She’d always loved Alex of course, but this... this was not the kind of love one should have for a sibling. Or at least that’s what most people would say. Well...

_Fuck most people._

It’s nobody’s business really. It was their own little secret, a newfound intimacy Haley had grown to appreciate more and more as days went by. And if they had to hide it forever, she concluded, so be it.

As she got up to go to the bathroom, Haley’s eyes fell upon a marvelous sight. Alex was sleeping with her face to the wall, and her sheets – courtesy of the girl being a restless sleeper – had crumpled up to leave her half-revealed. In any other scenario, the image of her sister’s panty-clad behind would’ve been what drew Haley’s attention (and for a few lip-biting seconds, it did). But now, Haley grinned at a surreptitious hand tucked between Alex’s thighs, and pressed against _that very spot._

Wondering just how much her last night’s performance affected her little sister, she resisted the urge to grab her phone and take a picture, knowing Alex wouldn’t appreciate that kind of teasing. Instead she smirked at the sight for a little longer, before the vibration of her cell interrupted her.

_Oh crap._

The message from her friend Alison shouldn’t have been a surprise, but Haley had completely forgotten two of them, along with Vanessa, had been postponing a get-together for over a month now. And apparently the other two were meeting today, with or without her. As much as she wanted to spend another morning with Alex, Haley knew she had to go. So she strolled over to the bathroom, to get her usual morning routine out of the way. When she was done and back in the room, she noticed Alex in a rearranged and strangely stiff position, as though she was pretending to be sleeping.

And sure enough, after Haley started rifling through her wardrobe, she accidentally glanced back at her sister in the wardrobe mirror to see the other girl looking at her. She smiled inwardly and looked away before Alex noticed her eyes, pretending to be busy finding something to wear.

Knowing there’s still plenty of time before having to leave, Haley decided a little teasing was still in order.

She pulled the tank top over her head, a little more slowly than usual, but still making it look natural. Then she slowly shimmied out of her leggings, leaving nothing on by the pair of strawberry-pink panties.

Unbeknownst to her, Alex watched with eyes’ glued to her sister’s lithe form, drawing small quiet breaths so as not to alert her. Her gazed traveled over Haley’s lightly tanned back, the cute venus dimples that then gave way to an ass so pert and perfect it should’ve been illegal. And as if that was not enough, the leggings that fell to the floor to reveal the smooth skin of Haley’s legs made Alex forget breathing altogether for a few moments.

She was no fan of the adjective _lickable,_ but no other word described those slender things better.

Just as she tried reminding herself that ogling her own sister was not appropriate and that she ought to look away, Haley pulled down her panties.

_Oh god._

She vaguely noticed the thing being flung to the other bed as her sister stood in front of the mirror completely nude.

Cursing the thin slits of sunlight that weren’t illuminating the room nearly enough for her liking, Alex breathlessly drank in the envy-inducing flawlessness that was her sister.  There was barely enough time to admire the beautifully elegant hillocks of her breasts, or to be amazed at the sight of Haley’s denuded sex. Because then the older Dunphy girl leaned down, picked up another pair of panties – this time lacy black – before gracefully sliding them on. Haley seemed to examine herself in the mirror for a moment, only for her eyes to turn to the mirror and lock on straight onto Alex’s.

“What do you think about these?”

If there was ever a moment Alex thought she’d literally die of embarrassment, this would be the one. She looked away quickly and awkwardly, uselessly trying to keep her cool.

“Wha—I don’t... I mean... I don’t know. I wasn’t looking.”

“Uh-huh,” came Haley’s disbelieving response. “And I totally didn’t enjoy you _not looking_.”

“Really? I mean--! Not that...”

“Oh would you stop it already!” Haley huffed a laugh. “Just come over here and help me pick something out. I’m meeting some friends in a bit.” She knew better than to ask her sister to tag along.

With the expected token reluctance, Alex went over to sit at the bottom of Haley’s bed. She did her best no to seem overly enthusiastic, eager or, more accurately, in sheer awe of the fact that she would have the front row seat to her sister changing clothes.

For her part, Haley seemed as relaxed as she would’ve been had they done this a million times. She twirled once or twice before glancing over her shoulder to Alex.

“These?”

“Um, t-those are fine, I guess. Not sure what the big deal is though, you’re just meeting friends, not going on a date.”

“Don’t be so sure, Alison and Vanessa were saying something about a threesome, so I might get lucky tonight.”

Though she knew it even before turning around, seeing Alex’s blank stare of utter shock still made Haley burst out with laughter. “Oh my god! You did not just buy that?!”

“Ugh! Haley, that’s not even remotely funny.”

“No,” the older sister admitted, “but your face was priceless. Anyway, it’s not about the prospect of a date. It’s just, you know... a girl likes to feel sexy whenever going out. And since your reaction was ‘fine,’ I should clearly go for something else.”

She watched Alex’s reflection swallow as she dropped her panties, doing her best not to grin at the success of her plan. Her explanation was true, technically. But they both knew she was doing this for Alex’s benefit. Or at least Haley hoped so. Surely her sister couldn’t be _that_ clueless?

The next in line were a pair of emerald green tanga panties, which Haley put on just as slowly, making sure to give Alex the best possible view without being ridiculously obvious about it. When she turned around, the younger girl watched the latest article to be tried on, her fingers fidgeting awkwardly with her hair.

“What about these?”

“Those, um, yeah... they’re nice.”

“Sexy enough?”

“God, ye-- I mean, sure, yeah.”

“Hmmm, I dunno though,” Haley feigned vacillation. “These feel a bit tight down here,” she showed by tracing the finger over the panty line on her inner thigh, making sure to press the fabric against her pussy. “I mean they’re hot, but... they’re not really that comfortable, you know?”

“Oh! Well, then... yeah, you... you don’t want to be uncomfortable. You should definitely take them off.”

Haley smirked at Alex’s chosen phrase, which was an emotion entirely missed by the younger girl whose attention was much lower. Alex pretended to study the green underwear piece analytically, and probably hadn’t even realized her response was about Haley taking the panties off rather than opting for something else.

“Hey, this isn’t making you uncomfortable, is it?” Haley prompted with as much genuine concern as her urge to start laughing would allow.

“What? This? No, come on... ” Alex dismissed the question in total and apparent discomfort, “Why would I be... I mean I’ve seen you undress a million times.”

“Exactly. I’m so glad we’re at a point where we don’t freak out about insignificant stuff.”

“Uh-uh, yeah,” Alex agreed with a voice that weakened with every inch that Haley’s panties passed on the way down.

 _Ups, forgot to turn around,_ Haley noted mischievously. Of course now that she was facing her sister totally nude, she had to come up with a reason.

“Hey, could you pass me the ones behind you?”

The amount of effort it clearly took Alex to unglue her eyes from Haley’s hairless sex and still attempt to make it look casual was absolutely priceless. Even more so with the quiet little whimper that sounded a lot like ‘oh god,’ as she turned around to grab the panties Haley had chucked on the bed.

She proffered the underwear to her sister’s outstretched hand, daring to glance once more before looking away.

But while Alex was holding the panties, Haley caught sight of still visible traces of her arousal on the fabric, which was no surprise really. Holding Alex’s hand while getting herself off had made her completely ruin the sheets, and the panties hadn’t fared much better. And though they have dried by now,  the remnants of her little adventure from last night could still be seen, and – Haley hoped with a sudden idea – smelt, as well.

“Um, hold on a sec,” she told Alex as she leaned back down toward the closet, pretending to rifle through the colossal stack of bras she had. “Oh god, this will take a while,” she muttered, relishing the knowledge her little sister was sitting there with her panties in hand. The plan was ludicrous, there was no denying it. Yet, to Haley’s utter and disbelieving delight, she watched in her peripheral vision as Alex tentatively lifted her underwear to then inhale it with a transfixed look on her face. It was hard to say without looking at her directly, but Haley could’ve sworn Alex bit her lower lip after the fact. “Oh, I think I found something that matches,” she said for her sister’s benefit and, sure enough, the younger Dunphy immediately dropped the panties on the sheet beside her like a hot potato. “N-no, maybe not... could you give me the...?”

Alex grabbed the panties once again, and having turned around to inspect them, Haley was quick to feign her realization of their state. “Oh! Oh, wow, ok never mind...” she told with a guilty grin. “Not wearing those I guess.”

After that, Haley grabbed hold of a blue thong, promptly putting it on.

“What do you think, too slutty?”

“Definitely too slutty,” Alex agreed with a hint of a smile.

“You’re right, I’ll just wear these for you,” Haley concluded with a wink and turned around faster than Alex could feign outrage.

Having decided she teased her sister long enough, Haley found her favorite black boyshort panties and matching bra. She slipped into the former, and turned around while putting on the latter.

“Hey, could you give me a hand?”

“Haley, I’m quite sure you can put on a bra by yourself.”

“Well, usually I can, but I think I injured my hand. You see, you were squeezing it so hard last night while I was--”

“Oh my god, fine!” Alex jumped up to shut her up by helping with the clasp.

Trying not to laugh was getting harder by the second.

After that, Haley went through her stuff some more and finally settled on a knee-length teal skirt coupled with a frilly white cut-off top which showed off her toned stomach perfectly. Taking a few moments to put them on, she then turned to her sister.

“How do I look?”

“You... you look good,” Alex responded with a strangely small voice on the last word, as if she were the one in the spotlight instead of Haley.

“Sexy?” The older sister prompted and began closing the distance between them.

“Uh-uh, yeah, you... definitely.”

“Ok, so...” Haley continued advancing until Alex bumped against her bed and plumped down on it. “I’m gonna need to put on my lip gloss now.”

“And what,” Alex glared at her with one eyebrow arched, “you need help with that too?”

“No, no... it just means we need to get this out of the way now.”

Alex barely had time to grasp her meaning before Haley’s lips were on her, soft yet aggressive, coaxing her lips with a few nips and licks before sliding her tongue in. The younger Dunphy backed up onto the bed, perhaps obligingly or perhaps out of shock, but either way Haley refused to break the kiss as she hopped on to straddle the other girl’s hips. With her little sister leaning hear head against a pillow, she hungrily explored her mouth until her lips started to travel down: kissing Alex’s neck, laying a few lascivious licks over her clavicle, as she started  pulling Alex’s tank top up to reveal her stomach. She knew her sister would protest at some point, that the adorable dork wasn’t ready, and more importantly that she’s already late meeting the friends with whom she would likely have to spend the majority of the day. Which was why leaving Alex all hot and bothered appealed to Haley so much.

She peppered kisses across her stomach, incrementally getting lower to the hem of Alex’s leggings.

“I need to go,” she breathed out huskily between each touch of her lips.

“O-o... ok...kay...”Alex responded breathlessly and certainly made no effort to stop her.

“I’ll... see you... later... okay?”Haley ventured after each soft lick placed dangerously close to her sister’s nether region.

Alex responded with some comically whimpering sound, something between a broken word and a moan, and then yielded to yet another illicit touch of Haley’s lips when Haley rose to kiss her goodbye.

Haley forced herself to stand up, getting a kick out of a comically disheveled Alex looking around in confusion as if questioning what the hell just happened. But knowing she had no time to lose, Haley grabbed the lip gloss from the nightstand and rushed to the door.

“Hey, do me a favor? Hide those so mom doesn’t see them,” she gestured at the panties she’d left conveniently lying next to Alex. Then waiting for no response, she went outside, hoping her little sister’s current state and her underwear at her disposal might prompt the younger Dunphy towards some ‘happy time’ of her own.

 


	8. Chapter 8

The first sign that something was a bit off for Haley was once she met up with her friends. The usual screams and squeals of joy from Alison and Vanessa was something she mirrored by default, but as they started to walk towards the mall, Haley realized that the genuine enthusiasm behind the expressed emotion had been somewhat lacking. She thought nothing of it at first, but as time went on, it grew more evidently apparent she wasn’t having as much fun as she had anticipated. They did their browsing and shopping, they chatted over ice cream and ended up seeing a movie after it all. Yet Haley couldn’t deny the irony of someone as social as her wishing she had stayed back in her room. Little by little, she came to the conclusion that friendships that one maintained in high school were not necessarily the same you would want to hang on to afterwards.

It wasn’t just the fact that Alex was at home and being with her in any situation was now more appealing. There was also diverging interests she was beginning to notice in her two friends, as well as attitudes and opinions that may not have been there before. Then again, she realized, maybe she was the one who had changed. If she didn’t utterly abhor that kind of growth, she would’ve said she’s matured even. Whichever the case, she feigned enthusiasm for the whole day, until the trio ended up at Alison’s house, hanging around until it was time to go to a club.

When they arrived, the eardrum-splitting noise of the speakers was enough for Haley to consider bolting then and there, but for the sake of friendship, she forced herself to endure. Alison ordered drinks for the three of them and it wasn’t long before she was approached by a guy who’d been standing right next to them at the bar. Haley couldn’t help but frown upon the gushing eagerness with which Alison accepted and followed him to the dance floor. Unfortunately, this was apparently a clear signal for other vultures to sweep in for the prey and soon enough, Vanessa and her were faced by two not quite-as-good-looking but decent enough dudes with the same intention.

Before Haley even considered what she was saying, she grabbed Vanessa’s hand and feigned an apologetic smile: “Sorry, we’re dating.”

Vanessa glanced at her in surprise, but was smart enough to play along in not reacting in any other manner. Still, the taller of the two guys didn’t seem to buy it.

“You know, you could just say no, you don’t have to make shit up.”

Suppressing the urge to flip him off, Haley opted for a better solution and pulled her blonde friend into a kiss. The momentary resistance vanished faster than could be noticed, and when the two broke apart, they saw the two guys walk away with disgruntled expressions on their faces.

“What was that about?” Vanessa asked with an tentative smile.

“Oh, sorry. I just... really didn’t want to deal with them.”

“Ok, but... why not just tell them to take a hike?”

“Cause, V – you know what guys are like. You say no and they take it as a challenge to keep pestering you for the rest night.”

“Right, ok,” the blonde nodded. “But now we’re standing here alone like a pair of losers.”

“Not necessarily,” Haley corrected her and pulled her towards the dance floor. “Come on, let’s dance.”

“Wait, wha--?” The surprised query got lost in the noise as they walked out onto the crowded dance floor, Haley glancing back at her friend with an encouraging smile. They settled between people, the motions of their bodies in sync to the beat of the music. The energetic tempo drove them on, and they were soon lost to the feeling, all the while maintaining just enough closeness to each other so as not to give any other guy an idea. When after a while the song ended, it was replaced by a slightly slower, more sensual number which Vanessa was quick to notice.

“Come on, let’s head back,” she said but Haley was quick to grab her hand.

“Don’t be a chicken, V. It’s just a dance.”

Vanessa glanced at her a bit uncertain, but didn’t really pull back. And when Haley stepped behind her to place her hands on her hips, she didn’t even object.

Haley didn’t know if it was the explanation, or the fact that Vanessa and her had fooled around once before (though they both blamed it on alcohol after the fact). Either way, the blonde went with it, and they were soon pressed against one another, slowly swaying to the sensual rhythm. As the song went on, Haley’s hands moved across her friend’s body, her chin nestled in the crook of the blonde’s neck. The music, the scent of Vanessa's perfume... it was all having a bit of a hypnotic effect. Haley’s mind wandered, imagining it was Alex pressed against her in a sensual union of their bodies. It was Alex’s stomach she was caressing, her ass that she was imperceptibly grinding on. It was Alex’s neck that was within reach, close enough to press her lips on the gentle skin and kiss her sister with a--

“Haley, what the hell?!”

Vanessa pulled back from the hug, looking at her a little bit freaked out. If it had been Alison whose neck she had just kissed, Haley knew, the freak out would’ve been far more frantic. As it was, Vanessa seemed mostly surprised rather than weirded out or disgusted.

“Are you... I mean, is this...?”

“No!” the Dunphy girl was quick to respond to whatever the question was. “Look, I’m sorry. I was just... I dunno. I think I should go.”

“No, wait! Haley!”

“I’ll call you, okay?” Haley shouted through the crowd, making sure to cast one more assuaging smile at a friend who was now mostly looking sad. Hopefully, this won’t lead her to some wrong conclusions, as despite the underwhelming day they’ve had, Haley wanted them to stay friends. But as for something more than friendship, she had a far better idea where to look for that.

 

ɣ

 

The light was still on in their room when Haley finally got home. Even though she snuck past the entrance as quietly as possible, she half-expected to be stopped dead in her tracks by the stern voice of her mother. Luckily, everyone but Alex seemed to have gone to sleep. Having scaled the flight of stairs just as silently, she made her way inside the room to find Alex asleep with the lamp still on and a study book fallen by the bed.

_Why am I not surprised._

Remembering the habit they’ve adopted, Haley locked their door and did her best to avoid making noise, but her sister still stirred awake.

“Oh, hey,” she muttered as she propped herself on her elbows.

“God, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you,” Haley apologized.

“No, no, I was just... resting my eyes.”

“Look, I’ll just change out of this and switch off the light, you go back to--”

“Haley, I told you I wasn’t sleeping. How was your... um, thing?” Alex asked after rubbing her eyes clear.

“Oh, you know, fine I guess.”

As the exchange went on and Haley sat on her bed, memories of her little incident on the dance floor came flooding back. Suddenly she got the urge to turn on some music and replay that moment with the real Alex. Of course the late hour made that impossible. That and... soon after, fairly less innocent thoughts of what she’d like to follow that up with appeared in her mind.

“What?”

“What?” Haley dispelled her momentary reverie.

“You’ve been watching me with a smile for over a minute.”

“Oh...” she breathed out upon realizing she was indeed smiling. “I don’t know... I just... Look, am I pushing you too hard, sometimes? I mean when we...?”

Alex apparently didn’t expect that. “What? I mean, I’m... I’m the one who kinda started this, remember?”

“Yeah, I know,” Haley nodded. “But since then I’ve been the one that... and I just wondered if... n-never mind. Let’s just go to sleep.”

“I’m not really feeling that sleepy now, to tell you the truth,” Alex said.

Was it Haley’s imagination or did that sentence come with a hint of a smile? That prompted another thought and suddenly, she remembered her promise from last night. And she also recalled the little _present_ she’d left for Alex before leaving.

“And... you’re not.”

“What?” Haley asked.

“You’re not pushing me too hard,” Alex returned with a small smile.

“So... can I come over there?” Haley ventured with a mischievous smirk.

“You don’t need to ask me that, Haley.”

“I know, but sometimes I like to hear it from you.”

“Yes, you can come over here.”

Wasting not a single breath, Haley sauntered over, hopping onto the bed and straddling Alex’s hips but not doing more than that. She simply watched her little sister, gauging her reaction to simple intimate closeness, relishing each shy glance downward and the subsequent look up.

“Kiss me.”

Alex looked up again in surprise, unsure for a few moment but then seeming to overcome it. She leaned over slowly and gently locked her lips with Haley’s for a few blissful seconds. They broke apart, but still remained close as Haley leaned her forehead against Alex’s, her breath ghosting over the younger girl’s lips as she spoke:

“I thought about you all day.”

“R-really?”

“Yeah... thought about holding you, kissing you, maybe doing _some other things as well..._ ”

“Oh...”

“Do you remember what I told you yesterday?”

“Uh-huh,” Alex confirmed.

“Do you maybe want to...?”

“Haley, I... I just...”

The older Dunphy girl knew what the problem was even if the younger one didn’t phrase it. She’d always resented how self-conscious of her body Alex felt, but... one way or another, she decided to rid her of that nonsense. As slowly as it took.

“It’s okay,” she whispered and pulled back to look at her. “How about with the lights turned off?” The starlight would barely illuminate anything through the window blinds, Haley knew, and hoped that that much darkness would be enough.

“But then how would I... and how would you...?”

Haley smiled each nascent question away. “Just trust me, okay?”

Alex nodded, even though it was tentative. So Haley quickly slipped out of her clothes, leaving nothing on but the black lacy lingerie she had worn during the day. After a sudden idea, she discarded the bra as well, then walked slowly over to the other bed. The mere gaze Alex gave her during those few steps made her want to tear off the flimsy tank top and panties her sister wore and do to Alex every depraved thing she could possibly think of. But she also knew she had to take things slow, that one wrong move or one push too far too soon would be enough for Alex to withdraw. For now, keeping her promise from last night would do.

She glanced over Alex one more time, happy to see she wore her sleepwear without a bra this time. She sat by her side and tucked away the hair from Alex’s face.

“Could you take off your leggings for me?”

She used the last two words intentionally, hoping they would be incentive enough for Alex to acquiesce. And though they were, Alex still took them off under the cover of her sheets.

Haley did her best not to chuckle or roll her eyes in amusement of yet another needless act of self-consciousness.

After the leggings were on the floor, Haley switched off the lamp and slowly dragged the sheet off her sister to see if she would protest.

She didn’t.

Then sitting sideways on the bed and leaning on the wall, she took Alex’s hand to have her sit between her legs, with the younger sister leaning against the bare breasts of the older one. Haley placed a kiss on her neck for good measure.

“You okay?”

“Yeah,” came the slightly shaky response.

“Just relax.”

“Yeah, no, I... ‘m fine.”

“Good,” Haley placed another kiss. “Do you remember what I did last night?”

“Yeah...”

“And did you... do any practice while you were alone today?”

“Oh god... Haley, do we have to talk about...?”

“We don’t,” the older Dunphy assuaged gently. “But I want you to feel completely at ease when you’re with me. I want you to be able to tell me these things.”

“I... I guess.”

“Ok then... anything you wanna tell me?” Haley prompted while slowly running her fingers up and down Alex’s thighs.

“I kinda... tried I guess, but I don’t really know...”

“That’s okay... don’t worry about it. Tell me... did you use my panties?” came the whispered question.

Haley could practically feel Alex’s heart stop beating.

“I... I...”

“Shhh, it’s okay, it’s fine,” Haley placed yet another assuaging kiss on her neck. “Why do you think I left them there?”

“R-really?”

“Of course. Did you use them?”

Alex couldn’t bring herself to respond, but Haley felt her nod. “Good, I’m glad. You think you wanna try again? I can tell you what to do.”

“Oh... o-okay.”

Haley smiled at the response, relishing the notion of what was to come. She stroked Alex’s thighs gently, then gingerly easing them apart. “First... you spread you thighs. Then, with your right hand, I want you to slowly caress yourself over your panties.”

She felt Alex’s hand move, and though she heard no sound, Haley felt her sister’s inhale as her fingers made contact with her sex and began stroking tentatively.

Before proceeding, she kissed her neck once more, almost establishing it as a reward of sorts, or an affirmation of a job well done. It was silly in a way, but Haley knew such things went a long way in combating insecurity of her baby sister. “You’re doing good. How does it feel?”

“It’s... it’s weird,” came the nigh-inaudible response.

“Good weird?”

“I... I guess so.”

Haley smiled. “Now, you do that for as long as you like, and when you want to, we can take it further, okay?”

Alex didn’t respond, but the motion of her hand didn’t stop. Haley helped her along by caressing her outer thighs, and after a little while, Alex’s breathing stopped as if she wanted to say something. But Haley was there to make it easy on her.

“Okay, now... I want you to take your panties off. Can you do that for me?”

_For me._

“Yea--” came the shaky half- response after which Alex lifted her body up just enough to slide the flimsy underwear off of her. She settled back down, leaning on the nude torso of her loving sister.

“Good.” Another kiss. “Now do the exact same thing that you did over your panties.” The motions continued, each accompanied by a corresponding exhale from the younger Dunphy. A little time passed, and when she deemed it the right moment, Haley added a further instruction, each after a little pause: “Slide a finger to your inner lips... tease yourself... now drag it over to you clit... circle it, slowly... remember – tease... now slide two fingers inside... just to the knuckles... then a little more... you can curve them slightly... in, and out... in, and out... you’re doing so good... now let the heel of you palm brush against the clit on the way... let your hips do some of the work to... that’s it, that’s it...”

When she thought it no longer necessary to continue instructing, Haley started to move her own hands from Alex’s thighs, over her hips, up her stomach... then placing her hands over Alex’s, she tentatively cupped her breasts, fearing it might stop the younger girl, but apparently she was too far gone to care. So Haley resumed kneading the tender flesh and peppering her sister’s neck with little licks and kisses. Alex continued her own work, breathing growing steadily faster as she fingered herself. Her body pressed against Haley’s hands, eager for Haley’s touch even over the tank top she still wore.

For her part, the older Dunphy girl did everything she could to suffuse her sibling’s body with a much pleasure as possible, hands and lips dutifully at work, all in sync with Alex’s own efforts. Soon Haley smiled at the sound of wetness coming from between Alex’s thighs, bringing her fingers to tweak each sensitive nipple in turn. Alex’s moaned at the touch, and the worry they might be making too much noise only vaguely entered Haley’s mind. A far more pressing concern was to help her sibling get herself off, and try not to think of her own growing arousal.

As Alex’s breathing turned faster and more irregular, Haley could tell she was nearing the edge. She cooed encouraging whispers in her ear, letting her breathy voice carry the younger girl onwards as much as every tactile sensation did. She paid special attention to Alex’s body language and when her baby sister finally froze an drew a hissing breath, the following two sharp inhales Haley timed with a sharp pinch of her nipples, overwhelming Alex with contrasting sensations she personally loved when getting herself off. The younger girl’s body then slumped bonelessly into her arms, murmuring and half-moaning incoherent nonsense. Haley released her breasts and held her close, allowed her mind to slowly put itself back together.

“That was beautiful,” she breathed into Alex’s ear. “ _You’re_ beautiful.” Though not response came, Haley knew Alex smiled shyly at the compliment. But before the current of ecstasy had completely left Alex’s body, she wanted to do something else. “Give me your hand,” she demanded softly.

Alex seem uncertain at first, then resolved to acquiesce. Haley found her arm in the dark, gliding her fingers over it until reaching the palm. She then brought it to her mouth and enveloped the two sodden digits with her lips. Alex gasped at the sensation, as Haley licked the fingers clean of her arousal. “Beautiful,” she repeated after finishing, and kissed Alex one last time for the night. They stayed like that for a while, neither of them speaking nor moving to go to sleep. It was the older sister that broke the silence first.

“What’s on your mind?”

“Just that... can we do this every night please?”

Haley huffed a quiet laugh, then pulling Alex’s down so they would lie on the bed, legs and arms entwined with one another. “Sure,” she responded “but you’re a really good student. I don’t think you need me anymore.”

Alex took her hand and kissed the back of her knuckles. “I’ll always need you, Haley.”

Haley knew she meant more than what they just did.


	9. Chapter 9

Haley felt herself smile at least couple of minutes before the reason for it came to her. Perhaps it was the unusual nature of the feeling, because even back when she had been dating, she rarely actually slept over at a boyfriend’s house, and them sleeping at her place was about as viable as surviving a nuclear blast in a refrigerator. Either way, waking up as the bigger spoon to Alex’s sleeping form was definitely something she could get used to. Her hand draped over Alex’s stomach, legs entwined, her bare torso pressed again thin fabric of her sister’s tank top... it all made Haley want to spend the whole day right there. Of course, losing her job over it would probably not be the wisest of ideas.

Still, there was about half an hour before she needed to start getting ready, so she stayed there for a little while longer. Not even the oncoming heat that had began to rise along with the sun made her want to break away for Alex – in fact, she pulled her baby sister even closer and kissed the back of her neck. To her surprise, Alex’s hand slinked down until she placed it over Haley’s.

“You awake?” Haley whispered.

“Mhm...” came the somewhat sleepy reply. It seemed that she had woken up shortly after Haley did.

It took another ten minutes for Haley to judge her sufficiently awake for another question. “You okay?”

“You really need to stop asking me that,” the younger Dunphy returned reassuringly and squeezed her sister’s hand tighter. “I was just... thinking.”

“What about?” Though Alex had assured her differently, Haley still couldn’t help thinking something serious was on the younger girl’s mind. And the prolonged pause that followed certainly didn’t help. When the answer finally came, it was the last thing Haley had expected to hear.

“Am I gay?”

Suppressing the urge to laugh, Haley went with the just the right amount of concern without making too big of a deal out of it. “You don’t know?”

“No, no...”Alex began tentatively. “I know. I just.... don’t _know,_ you know?”

Haley grinned and rolled her eyes at the most ridiculous sounding sentence she’d ever heard. It was just like Alex to wrack her brains over something so insignificant.

“Look, you shouldn’t be so quick to label yourself. You have plenty of time to figure everything out, and it doesn’t really matter anyway – regardless of whether you are bisexual, homosexual, sistersexual...”

“Uh, what? That’s _so_ not a thing.”

“Really?” Haley whispered into the crook of Alex’s neck. “So you’re not attracted to me?”

“Wh-- I... you...” Alex fumbled one word after another until she turned her head enough to see the grin on her sister’s face and realize she was being teased. ”Ugh, you suck Haley!”

“Yup,” the older Dunphy girl confirmed. “And if you ask nicely, I lick as well.”

She barely touched the side of Alex’s neck with her tongue before the younger girl recoiled with an involuntary giggle.

“Stop that, it tickles!”

But since Haley wouldn’t acquiesce, Alex nudged away from her to then lie on her back. Unfortunately, that position provided her with a an entirely new problem.

“You should, um... probably put something on.” She’d merely glanced down at Haley lying on her side, but it was enough to remind her of last night’s _events,_ as well as the fact her older sister was still wearing nothing but her lacy black panties. Consequently, her blush may not have been too noticeable but was as still as fast in coming as Haley’s smirk. For her part, Alex did her best not to mirror the emotion, stubbornly staring at the ceiling while still trying to come of as completely relaxed. She should’ve know better.

Haley propped herself up and straddled her little sister, making it rather difficult for Alex to keep ignoring her. Predictably, the younger Dunphy glanced down older one’s bare torso for the briefest of instances before her eyes darted shyly away.

“Hey,” Haley spoke softly. “Look at me.” Alex’s eyes locked onto hers, but Haley merely smiled. “No... _Look at me._ ”

After a strained several seconds, Alex’s gaze fell lower, her eyes absorbing the beauty that was her sister – from the tanned skin of her flat stomach, over the medium-sized but perfectly shaped breasts, to the elegant column of her neck and then her gently smiling face. When their eyes met again, Alex seemed more at ease and comfortable – both with her sister’s near-nudity and the fact she didn’t need to hide her enjoyment of it. That’s all Haley wanted, for Alex to stop being her shy self, at least when it’s just the two of them.

She leaned down to give her  peck on the lips. “’Morning.”

“Morning,” Alex replied and smiled.

“So how did you sleep?” Haley ventured.

“Actually... pretty damn good.”

“Yeah... mind-numbing orgasms can do that.”

Alex instantly looked away with an abashed grin, her cheeks now noticeably rosier. “It wasn’t... I mean... I... you...”

“Let me guess – I suck?”

“Yes, you really do.”

“I didn’t suck last night, did I?” Haley teased, her fingers drawing random patterns on the slit of skin between Alex’s panties and tank top. “Though I could’ve... if you asked me to.” With that last word her eyes dared up from Alex’s stomach to lock gaze with her. The suggestiveness of the proposal, the nature of their current situation... she’d never wanted to tear the clothes of her baby sister and fuck her silly more than she did then. But it was too soon. Always, it seemed.

Rather than address what was said, Alex went with a reminder of what Haley already knew: “You need to start getting ready.”

“Nah... I still have some time.”

“Haley, you’re going to be late.”

“I will?” The older sister feigned shock and delight in equal measure. “Why, what are you gonna do to me?”

“What?! Nothing! I was just--”

“Tsk, tsk... and only yesterday you were all ‘Can we do this every night?’” Haley kept teasing her.

“I... I want to, but... it’s morning now, so...”

“Excuses, excuses...” Haley chided. She then looked at her sister as if with a sudden clarity; like something had just occurred to her. “Can I tell you a secret?”

“Um... okay?”

Haley slowly leaned down, making a point of dragging her eyes over Alex’s curves along the way in a fairly obvious manner. With a husky breath, she told her sister exactly what was on her mind:

“What we did last night... it was _so_ amazing. Listening to you and feeling you as you got yourself off... it got me so god damn horny. And the only reason I didn’t do the same was that... I was kinda hoping you would want to... help me out.”

“Oh,” Alex breathed out weakly. “I would... I mean, I do... but...”

Rather than wait for her little sister to fumble her way through another excuse, Haley leaned back a little and pressed her finger against Alex’s lips. “You want me to take the lead?” To her surprise, Alex immediately nodded her assent. She clearly was eager to indulge her sibling, her own innate shyness the only thing holding her back. Luckily, Haley had gotten better and better at determining when to push her and how much. And here, she concluded, only a tiny nudge would do.

She had Alex prop herself up and lean against the wall, so that she now straddled her thighs. Having taken Alex’s hand in her own, she drew her fingers across her sister’s palm and spoke barely above a whisper.

“You remember everything I told you last night?”

Alex nodded.

“Remember everything you did?”

Another nod.

“Well, it’s just like that... only instead of doing it to yourself, now it’s to another person.”

Haley took her sister’s hand lower, guiding down until Alex’s fingers pressed against her panty-clad pussy. The contact drew a quiet little exhale from the younger girl’s lips, her eye darting upward to look at Haley. With their gazes locked, Haley moved her sibling’s fingers slowly over the black lace, and it only took several encouraging strokes until Alex began caressing Haley’s sex all on her own.

“That’s it,” Haley breathed out contently, her hips canting forward ever so slightly to encourage more contact. She draped her arms over Alex’s shoulders, placing her chin in the crook of Alex’s neck as she knew her baby sister would be more comfortable without constant eye contact. The move seemed to embolden the younger Dunphy, and Haley was immediately rewarded by far less tentative ministrations of her sex. So much so that soon both her and Alex felt the nascent wetness coating the black fabric.

“Haley, you’re...” wet, Haley knew the rest of the sentence would be.

“For you,” she said softly, accentuating the sentiment with a chaste kiss on Alex’s shoulder. The illicit contact went on for a  little while longer, until the feeling grew as irritating as it was pleasing; there was only so far she could go with the offending fabric between them. “Put your hand inside,” she suggested, and Alex wasted not a second obeying. Her fingers slithered into Haley’s panties, gliding down the hairless skin with clear enjoyment. Upon reaching the sodden entrance, she paused for only a moment and then ‒ much to Haley’s surprise ‒ thrust her finger inside almost all the way. Haley inhaled sharply at the intrusion, a sound Alex seemed to immediately interpret as one of discomfort.

“S-should I...”

“No!” Haley pleaded in a whisper; there would be other times for tutoring Alex on the nuances of gradual satisfaction. Now she wanted nothing more than to reach that orgasmic high she knew was coming. “Keep going. Please, keep... ah!” Her hips unwittingly pressing forward, she was caught by surprise when Alex’s finger slid all the way in. She pulled back a little and repeated the motion, which her little sister took as a cue to continue her own ministrations. Inexperienced as she was, Alex still fingered Haley almost perfectly, with the leftover difference closed by Haley angling herself to allow her baby sister to reach just the right spot. “There!” she whispered desperately. “Alex, right... ohgodyes!”

Ever the quick student, Alex began stimulating her g-sport with quick little strokes, her palm inadvertently brushing against Haley’s clit. The pleasure was there, slowly building, blossoming from Haley’s core to every fiber of her being. Yet, she need more.

“A-another finger. Ple...”

Alex immediately acquiesced, then plunging a second digit with the first, supplementing the gift of pleasure with one of blissful fullness.

For her part, Haley was biting her lower lip to stop herself from crying out and waking everyone in the house; a struggle growing more difficult by the second. She clutched onto her sibling, riding her fingers in sheer ecstasy. Just as she felt the nascence of climax begin, Alex slowed her fingers.

“Haley,” she whispered in a slightly panicky voice. “I think  I heard a door.”

“N-no... it wasn’t. Alex, please...”

“What if mom hears and--”

“Let her,” Haley interrupted her with a kiss, sealing her lips as well as any other objection. Luckily for her, Alex deemed it better to get her off as fast as possible rather than stop mid-way. She quickened her fingers once again, her mouth yielding to Haley’s tongue which slithered its way in. They barely made out for a few seconds when the older girl’s body froze, to then follow up with several strong twitches in sync with her pussy walls clenching around Alex’s fingers. She vaguely felt herself moan into her little sister’s mouth, barely noticing the spraying liquid between her thighs dousing Alex’s hand and ruining her panties.

Some part of her remembered what Alex had been worried about, so she stayed perfectly still while her breathing slowed and her mind returned to a somewhat coherent state. When they broke apart, a perpetually shy gaze was met with Haley’s satisfied one.

“See?” she noted weakly, “Easy peasy.”

Alex barely had time to let out a quiet chuckle before Haley’s lips once more ravaged her own. This time it was more out of gratitude than passion. “Thank you,” her breath ghosted over her sister’s lips. “That was amazing.” They stared at each other for a little while before something occurred to Haley. “What about you. Was it...?”

“I liked it,” the younger sister admitted freely. “Especially the part where I made you drench your panties.”

Haley huffed a surprised laugh, then promptly quieting it down to avoid any undue attention. “I never knew you had such a mouth on you, you little nerd.”

“Well... I guess you’re starting to rub off on me.”

“In more ways than one,” Haley noted with a wink, to which Alex rolled her eyes in amusement. “I should probably get going then.”

“Right,” Alex nodded, and merely waited.

“So, um...”

“Yeah?” Alex looked up inquisitively.

“You’re kind of... still inside me.”

“Oh, jesus!” Alex grinned, the blush on her cheeks darkening just a shade. She gingerly extracted her fingers out of Haley, who was surprised her little sister didn’t glance away during the surreal intimacy of the moment. Then once Alex’s fingers were free of confinement, she acted on an urge. Rather than put her sister on the spot, so to speak, she took her hand and closed her lips around the sodden digits, licking them clean as Alex stared in amazement.

“Just so you don’t have to wash your hands,” she winked pecked her on the cheek, then rose to remove the wet underwear and start rifling around for her work clothes.

While she was doing that, they heard the sound of the bathroom door, followed by that of their parent’s bedroom. Which meant that their little morning bonding had gone unnoticed. Probably.

 

ɣ

 

It was an entertaining, if not too productive of a way to spend time. Haley sat at her desk in front of her boss’s office, imagining the best way to quit her job: ‘accidentally’ nudging his damn potted plant out of the window; casually pouring coffee all over his irreplaceable documents or just sticking to classics and painting a giant ‘asshole’ on the hood of his car. Decisions, decisions... they were all equally tempting. But to be fair, it would probably be quite a while before she managed to secure another decent position for herself so putting up with his hissy fits would have to continue for now.

Luckily, he also had a habit of latching onto his phone and talk for prolonged periods of times, which served to make Haley’s job bearable. This morning alone she’d been shouted at fifteen separate times for things she ought to have done or had done but poorly. So if the rest of her work hours amounted to listening to his muffled, whiny voice interspersed with hysteric laughter, she’d be all for it. Though naturally, boredom need to be staved off, so with that in mind, she grabbed her own phone and decided to text her sister. Just as she started typing, the phone sounded with the arrival of a message, only it wasn’t who Haley had been expecting.

**Lunch today? :)**

Haley stared at the message and Vanessa’s name above it, her fingers about to type an affirmative response almost automatically before she put the phone down.

Lunch? Today? It would be a reunion coming far sooner than what the three of them usually planned. Then it hit her: Vanessa didn’t mention Alison this time. Just to be sure, Haley scrolled up to glance at their previous conversations with all accompanying messages and sure enough, each of V’s messages included, hinted or at least implied Ali. Not this one. And as if that wasn’t enough, Haley’s mind brought back images of the last time they’d met.

_Oh fuck my life... the kiss._

No... it’s not about that. I can’t be. V was just free for lunch and had nothing better to do, so why not have it with a friend? Like Haley, she too probably noticed they’d drifted apart somewhat and sought to rectify it. Hell, she probably didn’t even think about the kiss, not after Haley had brushed it off  as basically an accident. And here Haley was, overthinking a simple invitation from a friend, making a mountain from a mole-hill and imagining all sorts of unlikely scenarios. Ridiculous.

She dismissed the silly thoughts with a light head shake, and quickly typed up a response.

 

ɣ

 

Haley had barely been waiting a few minutes when she saw Vanessa wave at her from across the street. In the few seconds that her friend took to cross over, her thoughts shifted from being glad to see her to thinking something was a bit... off. For one, she wore a plaid shirt ‒ something Haley had never seen her in. More importantly, she now had a pixie cut; gone was her free flowing shoulder-length blond hair. To V’s credit, she still had the knowhow to stylize it so as to retain her gorgeous looks. Nevertheless, Haley couldn’t help wondering what this was about.

When they were finally face to face, they were both kind of awkward, as if neither knew whether a hug or a kiss on the cheek or what was the appropriate greeting. Contrary to what Haley had previously thought, it would seem the night at the club was not quite forgotten.

“Hey, you,” Haley smiled after the hug, “new hair, huh?”

“Oh, yeah,” Vanessa responded tentatively, as if trying to gauge her friend’s reaction. “Just trying it out. What do you think?

“You look...” _hot,_ was Haley’s first thought, not dwelling too much on the fact she’d actually though V as such. Whether it was the new look making it seem like V wasn’t her high school friend but merely someone resembling her; or whether it was her relationship with Alex that was kicking down a few more boundaries, Haley didn’t feel weird about it. “It looks really good on you.” V smiled at the compliment, a downplayed little thing, like trying to suppress her actual reaction. “And we’re rockin’ plaid now?”

“Yeah, I... you know... I mean what’s wrong with plaid?”

“Nothing, nothing,” Haley assuaged with a chuckle. “I just didn’t think it was your thing.”

“Well maybe you don’t know me as well as you think,” V waggled her eyebrows playfully, followed by her joyful disposition abating a fraction, as though she had just had some unpleasant thought. “So, are we going?”

“Yeah, do you wanna grab a bite at the mall so we can browse a bit--”

“Actually, I was kind of thinking that pizza place around corner?”

“Oh, okay,” Haley nodded. She’d been there once or twice before; remembering the discrepancy between the delicious quattro formaggi she had and how poorly the place seemed to be visited. Unless the owners went with her line of thinking and upped their advertisement game, V and her would able to converse without the hubbub of the crowded mall, in comfortable silence.

When they got there the place seemed somewhat more occupied, but Vanessa still lead the way toward a more secluded and deserted table in the corner. Haley thought nothing of it (beyond taking note of it) so they placed their orders and chatted for a bit while waiting for the food to arrive. As they talked, Haley became increasingly aware of a minute strand of unease interlaced with each of Vanessa’s words. Any other person ‒ Alison included ‒ would probably not have noticed, but Haley knew her too well.

So rather than beat around the bush and hope continued conversation would make everything shift back to normal, Haley decided to indulge her curiosity and actually broach the subject.

“Listen V, are we.... are we okay?”

“What? Why would... of course we are.”

“Well, alright. Cause... I just thought, back at the club...”

“Oh...” V trailed off, that sliver of unease now accompanied with some uncomfortable fidgeting. She twirled the fork between her fingers until she finally put her thoughts out there. “I did actually want to talk to you about that.”

_Oh shit._

Before Haley could even begin to contemplate a slew of excuses and possible responses, Vanessa continued:

“Just so we’re clear, when we were dancing and you...” _Kissed me..._ “... you weren’t...?”

“No, V, I’m sorry, I think I just got carried away.”

To Haley’s surprised, Vanessa seemed both a bit relieved and saddened by the responses. She couldn’t imagine what would be behind such a bizarre reaction.

“That’s... that’s good. Probably for the best.”

Maybe if she prompted her friend to...

“Did you... were you hoping that...?”

“What? No!” Vanessa quickly responded, then seemed to reconsider her answer somewhat. “I mean I guess I just thought if you did then maybe... oh fuck my life, why is this so hard?” she sank her face into her palms.

“V, what’s going on?” Haley ventured and grabbed one of her hands. “You know you can talk to me.”

With a deep sigh and a slightly anxious look at their surroundings, Vanessa leaned over and whispered: ”I think I might be gay.”

Suddenly the fact Haley was holding her friend’s hand became all too apparent to the Dunphy girl. But rather than drop instantly recoil like she might’ve done in the past, she made a mental note to let go sometime during the next several sentences.

“Are you sure?”

V glanced around once again as if fearing somebody might overhear, before she responded. ”I think so. I mean it was kind of... always in the back, you know? Like, everyone thinks girls are pretty, that’s normal, right? But then... there was that party...”

_Where we half-drunkenly made out..._

“... and then in the club, where you wanted those guys to go away, so we... and the dance, and I just... it all sort of clicked.”

Laid out like that, one occurrence after another ‒ in the light of Vanessa being gay ‒ Haley was forced to admit how potentially detrimental her behavior could’ve been for their relationship. No wonder V got the wrong idea. And some of those worries must’ve been evident on Haley’s face because the blonde immediately continued with placating, almost fearful earnestness.

“Look, I’m not in love you or anything, I swear. I know that’s like the biggest fear straight girls have when a friend comes out to them. I just thought, you know if, if you _were..._ I guess I hoped because it would be easier. Even if we never actually... you would still be there for me and--”

With a gentle smile Haley  squeezed her friend’s hand to get her attention. “I’m still here for you, V. I’m just...”

“I know, I know...” V huffed, “Not gay.”

“Well...”

“Wait, are you gay?”

“N-no, I mean... I don’t know, I never thought about it that much.”

“Okay,” V accepted and didn’t press any further. “So, who are you with now?”

Haley froze. This time she did pull back her hand, slowly, so at to appear unaffected by the question. “Why would you think I’m with anyone?”

“Oh come on Haley. You went out your way to keep dodging the question when we were with Alison. That’s actually part of the reason I thought we might have... the same problem.”

“Okay, first of all, I’m not dating anyone.“ _My sister and I just happen to be in a somewhat... more intimate relationship that occasionally includes masturbation and seems to only be progressing further. But we’re not ‘dating’ dating._ “Second, you don’t have a problem, okay? So what if you’re gay?”

“Ugh, you don’t know my parents, Haley.”

“Well, we’ll figure everything out, don’t worry about...” Suddenly, a light bulb went up in Haley’s mind.  “V... is this why you changed your hair? And wore plaid??”

“Well...” Vanessa fumbled for words, making the answer abundantly clear. “I just thought... Haley’s it’s not funny, stop laughing,” she exclaimed with indignation, even though she had trouble holding back laughter just as much as Haley seemed to.

“V, you’re being crazy. Why would you think--”

“Well you know... I’m not really into butch girls, so I thought if _I_ were a little more butch, then maybe some femme girl would approach me and...”

At this point Haley was basically trying to blink away tears as she buried her face in her hands and try to quiet down her laughter. This was beyond silly.

When she finally managed to calm down, Vanessa glared at her with disapproval but not anger.

“Jesus, V... firstly, you’re _so_ not butch. You’re still feminine as fuck.”

“Okay, so I’ll get some army boots, or a rainbow colored beanie or someth--”

“ _Second,_ you don’t need to do any of this, you don’t need to change who you are, or how you dress.”

Vanessa drew another sigh, and nodded her agreement. “You’re right, I know. God, what was I even... I just don’t know how would I ever... I mean _me ‒_ approach an actual girl? Fuck my life, I’ll be single forever.”

“You won’t be! Look, after we’re done eating we’ll go to the mall and check some girls out. Find you a nice little butch babe.”

Lips smiling, V shot Haley a deadpan stare before crumpling a napkin and chucking it at her. “Must you mock me?”

“Just a little,” Haley winked.


End file.
